A fox cub so young it still had its umbilical cord and placenta attached may have been one of the youngest creatures ever taken in by an animal charity.
From December 2015: GRAPHIC IMAGES: Fox shot through the neck with arrow saved by Leatherhead animal charity Wildlife Aid Foundation
The cub, taken in by volunteers at the Wildlife Aid Foundation (WAF) in Randalls Road, Leatherhead last week was thought to be just 30 minutes old.
From February: Fox shot and killed in "cruel" and "unnecessary" attack in Thorndon Gardens, Stoneleigh
The newborn was found in a garden in Capel by a member of the public and taken to the animal charity hospital on Friday, March 3.
The male cub was checked by WAF’s staff vet and placed in a heated incubator.
It is now being cared for by volunteers who will bottle feed it every two hours until it is old enough to be weaned and eventually released back into the wild.
Staff at the WAF believe the fox had been abandoned by its mother – making him WAF’s first casualty of ‘orphan season’, the name given to the annual influx of baby animals arriving at the hospital throughout the spring as wildlife starts to breed.
The day after it arrived, WAF volunteers also took in two baby squirrels which had been abandoned by their parents after a tree surgeon accidentally cut into the trunk their nest was housed in.
As WAF gears up for its busiest time of the year, founder Simon Cowell is asking members of the public to be on the lookout for orphaned animals.
He explains: “Anyone doing work in gardens and to trees should check first before they start chopping. If you do across a wild animal it is not always best to pick it up, especially if it looks healthy and is not in imminent danger.
"Often the parents are nearby, looking after it. We always advise people to call us first.
“If you do have to handle a baby mammal for any reason, always wear gloves and rub them on soil or grass thoroughly first so as not to leave your scent on the animal and risk its parents abandoning or attacking it.”
The foundation is appealing for donations to help it meet the rising costs incurred during its busiest period.
Each species of young that arrives needs specially formulated milk and the food bill alone will cost £1,500 a month. The orphans also need heated cages which cost up to £3,000.
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