Silence of the Lambs moth found in Portchester school compost

She described how she first noticed it when she heard its distinctive mouse-like squeak.

“It was so loud and so big, I thought ‘my goodness we’ve got another mouse’, but no, it was the beautiful moth,” she said.

“It looks incredible with its marking like a bee on its underside and it has a very big face as well.”

The moth is in a specialist habitat frame in the compost bin, and the school plans to show it to the children before it is released.

“We want the children to share in this – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance,” Moreton said.

“They’ll understand its about looking after the wildlife they’ve brought in to their habitat.”