Farmer delivers ‘little miracle' baby hare in emergency roadside Caesarean
The adult female hare was accidentally struck by machinery while farmer Robert Craig was carrying out silage operations in Dumfries and Galloway.
When he checked on the dead mother, he noticed that there was movement in her stomach and realised she was pregnant.
Knowing that he needed to act quickly to save the babies he performed an emergency Caesarean section with a pen knife, delivering two tiny leverets at the side of the road.
Mr Craig said: 'I went to check what I had struck and sadly found the hare dead.
'But then I saw her stomach move and knew instantly she was pregnant, and I had to act quickly to give the babies a chance at life.
'I carefully cut her open and saw the babies. 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.'
While one of the leverets did not survive, the other, named Bruno by Scottish SPCA staff for his fighting spirit, is now gaining strength at the charity's National Wildlife Rescue Centre at Fishcross in Clackmannanshire.
Animal Rescue Officer Emma Totney went to the scene at Rigg near Gretna, Dumfries and Galloway, on May 13.
She said: 'When I arrived, I was surprised by how alert and energetic the baby was – it was a huge relief. He was feeding well and already showing signs of real fight.
'He was smaller than we'd expect for a newborn, but clearly a fighter. He's a little miracle.
'He 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.
'We were all amazed he had survived such a dramatic start to life.
'It's heartwarming 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.'
When first admitted to the Wildlife Rescue Centre, Bruno was very underweight at just 80g – well below the typical 100–130g birth weight for a newborn hare.
However, he has since grown significantly and now weighs more than nine times his original weight.
The team hope that Bruno will be ready for release into the wild in the coming weeks, provided his progress continues.
At Fishcross, the Scottish SPCA's wildlife team provides round-the-clock care for orphaned and injured animals.
Wildlife assistant Shauni Stoddart, who has been caring for Bruno, said: 'When Bruno first arrived, he was 20g underweight and in a very fragile condition.
'Due to his unique circumstances, he was hand-reared at home for the first five days to minimise stress. He responded incredibly well, quickly gaining strength.
'He's a true little fighter. It's been an emotional journey for everyone involved but seeing him grow stronger every day is so rewarding.'
The Scottish SPCA described Bruno's birth as 'very extraordinary', and the charity said it would not recommend anyone performing this kind of surgery on any animal.
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