Dozen orphaned fox cubs being cared for at Shropshire wildlife centre
Staff at a wildlife rescue centre in Much Wenlock in Shropshire are having to cope with an unusually high influx of fox cubs.
Twelve cubs are being cared for at Cuan Wildlife Rescue which is currently catering for more than 300 casualties and orphans ranging from mice, ducks, hedgehogs and various birds to deer.
The cubs will stay at the rescue centre, based on a 15-acre site, until the end of August when they will be taken to specially prepared release sites to enable them to go back to the wild.
Some are orphaned because their parents have been killed on the road and others have been found wandering alone.
The 15 part-time and full-time staff at the rescue centre are appealing for donations of food and money to help them care for all of their charges.
A wish list for food can be found on Amazon - at amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/3MT2VV5YVKN9 - and this includes calls for bird food, puppy milk replacements and nutritionist raw food.
People can also send donations to the Cuan Wildlife Rescue at Much Wenlock, postcode TF13 6DD.
Fran Hill, the 55-year-old hospital manager at the rescue centre, said: "We have an unusually high number of fox cubs. Normally, at this time of the year, we would be dealing with badger cubs and we had more than 40 of those last year.
"But, unfortunately, a badger cull appears to have done its damage.
"This year we have fox cubs from different families and only two siblings.
"In some cases the parents have been killed on the road and others have been found wandering alone.
"There was evidence of one den being destroyed."
Fan added: "They have all been found over the past two to three weeks and will eventually be released back into the wild.
"We have put them into sex-relative and size-relative groups and will continue to rear them until about the end of August when they will be taken to prepared release sites.
"At the rescue, a charity which has been established for more than 30 years, we rehabilitate sick and orphaned British wild animals and birds.
"This time of year is usually our very busy period but it is unusual to have so many fox cubs in the centre at one time."
