Lost ferret rescued from under cattle grid

The ferret was coaxed out with food

A stray ferret discovered living under a cattle grid has been rescued.

The furry runaway was spotted by a walker hiding under the grid on a farm in Cockfield, Bishop Auckland.

Animal welfare charity the RSPCA said it was now hoping to find her family.

Rescue officer Krissy Raine said the ferret might be "a much-loved pet and is being missed by her owner, so we really want to reunite them".

The jill - a female of the species - has been nicknamed Mimi.

She was coaxed out from the cattle grid with food and appeared tame, the RSPCA said.

"She is the most friendly, lovely ferret and is likely to be owned as she was very happy to interact with me," Ms Raine said.

"No one who lives nearby knows who owns the ferret so we can’t be sure how far she has gone on her own."

The ferret had made her home under a cattle grid

Ferrets are domesticated and can be kept as pets, though they spend much of the day asleep and are mostly active at dawn and dusk.

Their name derives from the Latin for "little thief".

The RSPCA said Mimi had not been microchipped and was being kept in animal foster care.

The charity is asking the owner, or anyone who knows who they might be, to get in touch.