Meet the Harry Potter-inspired wild mice rescued by Bispham family

When Amy Moores and daughter Emaleigh went to the garden shed to get some cereal, they did not expect to find a tail peeking out from behind the box.
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On June 26, Amy, 32, and daughter Emaleigh, 15, accidentally disturbed a wild mouse in their Bispham Road garden shed after moving a cereal box.

Along with their dog Bella they decided to clear the shed, but they noticed a pile of dead leaves in the back corner - and it was moving.

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On closer inspection, Amy and Emaleigh found five baby mice tucked up inside, with no sign of their presumed mother who had been spooked.

The wild mice found in Amy Moores' shed have been named after their favourite Harry Potter characters.The wild mice found in Amy Moores' shed have been named after their favourite Harry Potter characters.
The wild mice found in Amy Moores' shed have been named after their favourite Harry Potter characters.

Amy, a teacher at Devonshire Primary Academy, said: "When we found them we think they were around eight or nine days old, and we didn't know what to do.

"We scared a mouse away by accident and because the dog had been in there, I was worried she wouldn't come back for them.

"We took them in and asked for advice from online wildlife groups, Pets at Home and Andrew Mellor Vets on Norbreck Road. They were all fantastic and really helpful."

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The advice given was that the mice, three females and two males, could be hand-reared on kitten milk, using a paintbrush every three hours.

15-year-old Emaleigh has looked after the mice herself, weaning them every three hours on kitten milk.15-year-old Emaleigh has looked after the mice herself, weaning them every three hours on kitten milk.
15-year-old Emaleigh has looked after the mice herself, weaning them every three hours on kitten milk.

Montgomery Academy pupil Emaleigh took on the round-the-clock job of mothering the vulnerable animals, who now lived in an empty terrarium.

As big Harry Potter fans, the Moores family decided to name the mice quintet Neville, Gilderoy, Minerva, Myrtle and Hermione.

They have become a social media sensation, with their own Instagram page and regular Facebook updates.

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"Emaleigh has done most of it herself, she has become really attached to them so I doubt we're going to release them," Amy continued.

The mice were just eight or nine days old when they were found in the Moores' garden shed.The mice were just eight or nine days old when they were found in the Moores' garden shed.
The mice were just eight or nine days old when they were found in the Moores' garden shed.

"They can be kept as pets and would probably live much longer than if they were in the wild.

"My brother is training to be a zoologist, so he is taking the three females and we're going to keep the males. We definitely don't need any more babies so they'll be separated before they breed.

"I certainly didn't expect to ever raise a baby mouse family, but they're all doing really well at home with us."

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