THE trustee of an Abercarn animal welfare centre and her son has helped to save the life of a fox cub badly burnt in a grass fire.

Kirsty Thomas and her son Gavin found the foxes while out walking their dogs between Mountain Ash and Ynysybwl, although two cubs had already died.

But the dogs were alerted to another injured cub.

Mrs Thomas, a trustee of Four Paws Animal Rescue, said: “I wasn’t sure what he had brought home, not recognising it as a fox cub but as just a puppy.

“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.”

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that the grass fire was started deliberately and covered one acre of grass and scrubland taking nearly 90 minutes to put out.

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.

“This 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.”