A tiny five-day-old crow weighing just 100g had to be raised in a jug weighing as it was nursed back to health by the Scottish SPCA.
Jug the carrion crow, who got his name after he was placed into the plastic container to help protect his legs from splaying, was in a vulnerable state when he was admitted to the charity's National Wildlife Rescue Centre last year.
The adorable bird was completely bald and his eyes were still closed when he arrived. He was also freezing and had to be put into a brooder, an infra-red heat lamp used to keep chicks toasty, to be warmed up.
Jug initially needed to be hand fed every 30 minutes and was weighed daily to ensure he was developing well. Once he was big enough, he was upgraded from the brooder to a cage and then outside to an aviary with other corvids.
There, he learned natural behaviours and prepared for life back in the wild, built up his flight muscles and perfected his flying skills.
Once the team could see he was independent, in good body condition and coping well with different environmental factors, he was ready to be released.
Jug is one of the 4,908 animals that were admitted to the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in 2022, and volunteers are urging members of the public to get in touch if they think an animal is in need of help or rehabilitation.
A SSPCA spokesperson said: "After two months of rehabilitation, Jug weighed a healthy 500g and was released to a soft release site, meaning that he can be supported in his return to the wild with regular monitoring and food.
"If anyone is concerned about an animal, please do not hesitate to contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999."
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