SEVEN fox cubs need your help to get back to the wild by the end of the summer, as a Somerset wildlife rescue centre launches an urgent appeal to raise enough funds for their successful release.

The little foxes Ed, Piran and five friends were saved by Secret World Wildlife Rescue in separate rescue missions over March and April this year.

They have since been hand-reared on puppy milk by dedicated animal carers before moving onto solid food and starting the long process of preparing for release. We will follow the cubs’ story as they prepare to get back to the wild.

Piran was found under a shed in Bristol, alone and crying, so young that his umbilical cord was still attached.

He was first taken to a cat rescue centre as his rescuer thought he was a kitten.

Fox cubs do look quite different when young, with small ears and brown fur. After a visit to the vet, Secret World response driver Dave Pulley came to the rescue and brought Piran to the centre in Highbridge.

Ed was found near Crewkerne in Somerset by a dog walker, cold and alone.

The two cubs have since been joined by five friends – five more orphaned fox cubs rescued by the charity’s dedicated team of volunteer response drivers.

When the cubs first came in they needed a high calorie diet to get their weight up, and were syringe fed with puppy milk replacement every two hours, by animal carers.

Piran was tiny when he came in, weighing just 86.8 grams.

The cubs moved on to bottle-feeding, and now they’re onto solid food it’s time to cut their contact with humans and prepare them for the wild.

This is a gradual process which takes time, space, care and lots of nutritious food - that’s why they need your help.

Secret World volunteer Pete has been helping care for the cubs.

“As a volunteer my role is to make sure the fox cubs have a clean, warm environment to live in”, says Pete.

“I also need to be observant, to check they are bonding as a group. During this time, the cubs need to have minimal contact with humans. It sounds strange but to see them scared of us is a good thing – we’re trying to make them wild again.”

Secret World urgently needs to raise £15,000 by the end of the summer to get these, and 25 other fox cubs, back to the wild where they belong. Please support the Wild Futures appeal to give Ed, Piran and friends a future back in the wild.

£15 will feed a fox cub for six weeks in their pre-release pens.

£23 will cover fuel costs for a response driver to rescue a cub. Donate at www.secretworld.org/wildfutures or text SWWR22 £15, or the amount you want to give.