Shrimpy

Shrimpy arrived as a tiny fox cub in critical condition. Found beside her deceased mother at a busy roadside, she was cold, comatose, dehydrated and covered in fly eggs.

She was barely responsive and passed foul-smelling black diarrhoea. We couldn't know how long she had been without food, but feared her mother had died some time before she was discovered.

She was gently warmed in an incubator, given fluids and offered tiny milk feeds — initially just 1 ml at a time. She survived the first 24 hours, but the next few days remained precarious. Regurgitation of feeds created another serious challenge.

Gradually, Shrimpy grew stronger, became more active and began weaning. Her early condition meant she needed more hands-on nursing than would normally be desirable for a wild fox cub, but that support was essential to her survival.

Shrimpy eventually recovered sufficiently to be released back into the wild. Her story reflects the time, patience and specialist nursing that some of our youngest patients need.