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The Scottish SPCA is caring for five badger cubs at its National Wildlife Rescue Centre near Alloa.

The first to arrive was a two-week-old female cub found by a member of the public in woodland in Inverness last month.

It is thought the cub had been dragged away from her sett by another animal.

The badger, who has been named Lavender, was at the time the youngest badger to ever come into the animal welfare charity's care.

Just weeks later an even smaller badger was rescued by the Scottish SPCA.

The tiny animal was taken into the charity's care after her mother and siblings were accidently scared off in Aberdeen.

April Sorley, who along with fellow wildlife assistants Carys Young and Juanita Zaldua, is raising the young badgers said: "Her name is Pelly and she is even smaller than Lavender was when she arrived.

"She weighed only 72g (2.5oz). So she has now claimed the crown of smallest ever badger."

The other three badgers, who have been named Violet, Peach and Bean, were rescued in the Falkirk area.

The Scottish SPCA plans to release the cubs back into the wild in the autumn.

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