A NEWPORT animal charity has made a last rescue before the coronavirus lockdown – by taking care of a degu and her newborn babies.

Some of the degu babies

Blue Cross’ Newport centre received Mila and her nine babies just before the lockdown began.

The babies, who are only a week old, four inches long and around 20g in weight – less than an AA battery – were an accidental litter but are now being cared for by a foster parent.

A degu baby from the litter

Blue Cross Newport manager Georgie Riley said: “They were staying close to mum but are starting to get much more adventurous and curious. It’s great to see them all doing so well in their foster home.”

Degus are small rodents, larger than hamsters but smaller than rats, native to Chile.

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During the lockdown, the centre is now closed to new admissions and will not be rehoming any of the animals. They will reopen once the lockdown has been lifted.

Ms Riley said: “We are focusing all our efforts during this time on the welfare of the pets and it is critical that we keep them and our teams safe and well.

One of the degus off exploring

“As a charity, we receive no Government funding so people who would like to help at this time can make a donation to Blue Cross or look to sponsor one of our pets on our website.”

Pet owners can sign up to a free email from Blue Cross offering the latest news and tips on how to manage the Covid-19 outbreak with your pets. The charity has also set up a dedicated webpage with tips and advice on how to keep your pets safe and healthy during the lockdown. Visit www.bluecross.org.uk/coronavirus for more information.