A baby hare has survived against the odds after being delivered in an emergency roadside Caesarean on a roadside in Scotland.
Named Bruno, his mother was accidentally struck by machinery while farmer Robert Craig was working on silage in Dumfries and Galloway.
“I went to check what I had struck and sadly found the hare dead,” Mr Craig said.
However, he saw movement in the dead animal’s stomach and “knew instantly she was pregnant”, realising he had to act quickly to “give the babies a chance at life”.
Using a penknife, he delivered two tiny leverets.
“I carefully cut her open and saw the babies,” he said. “I gave them a gentle swing to clear out any mucus, just like you would with newborn lambs.
“Then I started rubbing their bodies to try and get them breathing, and, sure enough, they gasped and came around.
“So, I stopped working, got them warmed up and called the Scottish SPCA.”
Animal Rescue Officer Emma Totney, who went to the farm near Gretna in May, said Bruno was “feeding well and showed great energy, so I knew I needed to get him to our team at Fishcross as quickly as possible.
“We stopped a couple of times on the journey for feeds, and each time he did brilliantly.”
While one baby hare did not survive, Bruno is described as a “little miracle”.
When he arrived at the charity’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre he was just 80g – well below the typical 100-130g birth weight for a newborn hare.
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But he has since grown significantly and now weighs more than nine times his original weight.
“He was hand-reared at home for the first five days to minimise stress,” explained wildlife assistant Shauni Stoddart.
“He responded incredibly well, quickly gaining strength. He’s a true little fighter.”
Ms Totney said: “It’s heart-warming to know that thanks to a kind-hearted farmer, the wildlife centre team, and myself, this little miracle will get the chance to return to the wild and live a full life.”
It’s hoped that Bruno will be ready for release in the coming weeks.
