AN ABERCARN animal welfare centre trustee helped to save the life of a fox cub badly burnt in a grass fire.

Kirsty Thomas and her son, Gavin, found the fox while out walking their dogs recently.

They first found two cubs already dead. But were then made aware of another injured cub nearby, by their dogs.

Mrs Thomas, a trustee of Four Paws Animal Rescue, said she could not leave it there to die too.

“I wasn’t sure what he had brought home, not recognising it as a fox cub but as just a puppy,” she added.

“We started to clean him up and then realised that it was something else.

“After giving him some fluids, and taking him to the vet, we called the RSPCA.”

The cub was discovered between Mountain Ash and Ynysybwl, with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service since confirming the grass fire was started deliberately and covered one acre of grass and scrubland. It took nearly 90 minutes to put out, a spokesman added.

RSPCA Cymru has also issued a warning about the dangers of grass fires, and the threats posed to wild animals in particular.

RSPCA inspector Gemma Cooper said: “Sadly, due to this fire fox cubs have lost their lives.

“In many cases this is completely preventable and shows the devastating impact of grass fires, not just on property and humans but on the wildlife that calls the countryside their home.

“The surviving fox cub was very lucky and is now at an RSPCA centre receiving treatment and being rehabilitated, ready to be released back into the wild later this year.”