A baby owl is being nursed back to health at a wildlife centre after it was spotted by a concerned dog walker and rescued by the RSPCA.

The young owl, called an owlet, was underweight when it was found in Mildenhall in Suffolk on Wednesday.

It was taken to the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre in Norfolk by animal collection officer Naemi Kilbey.

“A dog walker came across this poor tawny owl which was dehydrated and had a low body temperature and needed care,” said Ms Kilbey.

“I took the bird to our wildlife centre in Norfolk for care before he will be released back into the wild.”

The charity said that, ordinarily, members of the public who are concerned about a baby bird should leave them alone and monitor them from a distance.

This is because the bird’s parents are usually nearby and will still be feeding the bird.

In particular with tawny owlets, they can climb up and down trees if they are well, the RSPCA said, so these little birds are able to get themselves back into their nest if left at the bottom of the tree.

However, animal rescuer Ms Kilbey agreed that in this instance the owlet was cold and dehydrated.

To support the RSPCA during the coronavirus crisis, see www.rspca.org.uk/covid