A farmer in Dumfries and Galloway has been hailed for his quick thinking after performing an emergency roadside caesarean section on a dead hare, which saved the life of one of its unborn babies.
The dramatic rescue unfolded when Robert Craig, who was carrying out silage operations, accidentally struck an adult female hare with his machinery.
Upon checking the animal, Mr Craig discovered she was deceased but noticed movement in her stomach and realised she was pregnant.
“I had to act quickly to give the babies a chance at life,” he said.
Mr Craig used a penknife to perform an emergency C-section at the side of the road.
The extraordinary intervention led to the successful delivery of two tiny leverets, one of which survived and has since been described as a “little miracle”.
Mr Craig said he “carefully” cut open the hare’s stomach and took out 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, 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 13 May.
She said: “When I arrived, I was surprised by how alert and energetic the baby was – it was a huge relief. He was 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 kindhearted 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 birthweight 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.
Wildlife assistant Shauni Stoddart, who has been caring for Bruno, said the baby hare was in a “fragile” condition when he arrived.
“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”, though the charity said it would not recommend anyone performing this kind of surgery on any animal.
