These adorable abandoned badger cubs have been nursed back to health by a kind-hearted animal lover on a diet of custard creams. The orphaned youngsters - one of which escaped death after being carried away in a Jack Russell's mouth - are doing better than ever after they were taken in by retired farmer Pauline Kidner. Nursed originally on milk form bottles custard creams were introduced into their diet slowly to see whether the cubs were ready for food. Scroll down for video . The orphaned youngsters - one of which escaped death after being carried by a dog - are doing better . Nursed originally on milk, custard creams were introduced to see whether the cubs were ready for food . 'They were very very tiny, we start them off giving them milk with a teat on syringe,' Pauline said . The first of the badger cubs, named Little Star, was half the weight of an apple when it arrived at the Secret World centre, but Pauline, who runs charity Secret World, says they're growing at an astonishing rate. The 65-year-old, from Somerset, said: 'When they came in eight weeks ago they were 80g, now they're 1.1kg, you can almost see them growing.' 'They were very very tiny, we start them off giving them milk with a teat on syringe, we can't risk any getting in their lungs, but they're now on normal bottles. 'Little Star came from Derbyshire, she was brought into someone's kitchen by their Jack Russell dog, it was very lucky he didn't hurt her, she'd been born two days earlier; her umbilical was still attached . 'The dog brought another one in, but sadly that one had been shaken, so unfortunately it died within 24 hours . Pauline explained to have two badger cubs picked up by dogs in a short space of time is unusual. 'One cub a year is brought in when dogs get down in the set,' she said. The dog brought another one in, but sadly that one had been shaken, so it died within 24 hours . The first of the badger cubs, named Little Star, was half the weight of an apple when it arrived at centre . Jack Russels have an instinct for digging and going down holes and are traditionally used in badger baiting. However, there is no reason to suspect the illegal blood-sport was to blame for the death of this cub. 'Then we had another called Vogue come up from Cornwall, we called her that because was picked up in the village Vogue near Redruth,' Pauline said. 'Then lastly the third came in three weeks ago, that one's from near Cheddar in Somerset, we called him Scrumpy, because of the cider context . When they came in eight weeks ago they were 80g - carers have watched them grow to 1.1kg . They're 12 to 16 weeks once they wean, then they might be moved on to solids by the carers . 'We've been keeping Scrumpy separate as he's older than the two girls. Once they start to mouth things, they start playing with each other, pulling ears, Scrumpy can get a bit rough though.' 'They're still on bottles now, we've started putting in custard creams to see if they're interested, then we might move them on to solids. 'They're in the cubby hole in my kitchen now.' The aim is to release the animals back into the wild once they're strong enough. They're all vaccinated against Bovine TB, before they reduce human contact. Pauline said: 'We'll add another two to the group, we'll keep them together before release in autumn. 'When they're 12 to 16 weeks once they wean, they go down to the Millie Block, which is a separate building. 'After that they turn nocturnal, we feed them at night, then it's on to glassed enclosures when we just throw the food over to them and get them to revert to wild.' 'Sadly if we can't release them, we do have to put them to sleep, which is why we reduce human contact like that.' After they move to their nocturnal sleep rhythm they will be put in glass enclosures and then released .
Tiny cubs from Derbyshire, Cornwall and Somerset nursed back to health . The  orphans fed on milk and then, gradually custard creams as they grew . First cub 'Little Star' weighed less than half an apple when she arrived .