A Farmer, a Pocket Knife, and a Miracle: How One Man Saved a Baby Hare’s Life in a Scottish Field
What started as a routine day in the fields turned into an unforgettable act of compassion for Scottish farmer Robert Craig.
While collecting forage crops near Dumfriesshire, Craig’s machinery accidentally struck a hare hidden in the grass. He jumped down to check on the animal — and found that, sadly, she hadn’t survived. But just as he was about to walk away, he noticed something.
Her belly moved.
“I knew instantly she was pregnant,” Craig told reporters. “And I had to act quickly if I was going to give her babies a chance.”
With no time to spare and nothing but his pocket knife, Craig knelt down by the side of the road and performed an emergency Caesarean section — something he’d never done before on a wild animal.
“I carefully cut her open and saw the babies,” he said. “I gave them a gentle swing to clear the mucus, just like we do with lambs. Then I started rubbing their little bodies — and to my surprise, they gasped and came to life.”
Craig immediately stopped working, wrapped the tiny leverets to keep them warm, and called the Scottish SPCA.
One of the newborn hares survived. He weighed just 80 grams — far below the usual 100–130 grams for a newborn — but he had a spark in him. A will to live. The SPCA staff named him Bruno for his fighting spirit.
Animal Rescue Officer Emma Totney, who responded to the call, said she was stunned by the baby’s energy. “When I arrived, he was alert and already showing signs of real fight,” she said. “It was a huge relief.”
Bruno was taken to the Scottish SPCA’s National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fishcross, where he began his long road to recovery. Due to his fragile condition, wildlife assistant Shauni Stoddart cared for him at home for the first five days, hand-feeding him around the clock to minimize stress.
Now, just weeks later, Bruno weighs more than nine times his original birth weight. He’s eating independently and growing stronger every day.
“It’s been an emotional journey,” said Shauni. “But seeing him gain strength, watching him thrive — it’s incredibly rewarding.”
If Bruno continues progressing, he’ll be released back into the wild soon — to live the life his mother couldn’t.
Thanks to a farmer’s quick thinking, a pocket knife, and a whole lot of heart, a little miracle named Bruno now has a future.