Elsa the badger's road to recovery (From Wiltshire Times)

Elsa the badger's road to recovery

8:50am Wednesday 8th April 2009 in News By James Williams

A two-week-old badger that was injured by a dog in Westbury has made a full recovery with a little help the Wiltshire Wildlife Hospital.

The hospital, which is situated in Amesbury Road, Newton Tony, was started in 1993 by Mike Boys Cortis, who was joined by his wife, Marilyn, in 1997.

The couple have approximately 100 volunteers who help to rescue, treat, care for and rehabilitate mammals, birds and reptiles in preparation for their release back to the wild.

Four weeks ago they rescued a two-week-old badger called Elsa, who had been injured by a dog in Westbury.

Mrs Boys Cortis said: “We deal with a lot of badgers here - they are either road casualties or they’ve been fighting with other badgers in the wild. Some of their injuries can be horrific.

“Elsa was about two weeks old when she came in and her eyes were still closed. She was quite chunky though so her mum had done obviously done her well - she was quite healthy because she had just come out of the set.

“We couldn’t put her back in for fear that she would be injured by other badgers if we put her down the wrong hole.”

Elsa has now made a full recovery and was sent to the Secret World Wildlife Rescue in Somerset this week to be with two other badgers recently homed there.

Mrs Boys Cortis added: “She’s done really well but what you don’t is any mammal to become dependent on human care and human interaction - she needs badger company.”

The hospital, which treated a record number 150 hedgehogs this winter, provides a 24-hour rescue and advice service on 07850778752.