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Help, I’ve found an injured wild animal/bird, what do I do?

Firstly always consider your own safety and that of others around you; please never put yourself in danger.

If you are able to please try to get the animal contained in a strong cardboard box lined with newspaper or a towel. Always use gloves to handle wildlife. With birds you may find it easier to throw a towel or blanket over them to prevent them trying to fly away.

Once contained keep the patient somewhere quiet, dark and warm. We are open 24 hours to take in wildlife casualties, you do not need to call first and you can turn up any time.

Where are we?

Our postcode is HP17 8AF.

Please see the map below showing the areas we cover. If you are outside of these areas you can check www.helpwildlife.co.uk for your nearest rescue centre.

Worried about a hedgehog during winter? Click here for help with hedgehogs & hibernation.

When to help a baby bird and when to leave alone

With the lighter nights and warmer weather comes baby season! Every spring and summer we take in hundreds of baby birds, some of which may not have needed to be picked up. We have put together a useful guide of when to help which you can view here:

When to help a baby bird and when to leave them alone | Tiggywinkles (sttiggywinkles.org.uk)

Important information

Any large and powerful animal, such as fox, deer, badgers and swans should only be handled by experienced wildlife rescuers.

If you have a large animal in need please stay with the animal so the rescuer can locate it and either call us on 01844 292292 (24hr line, please wait for instructions when calling out of office hours) or, if you are not near to us, you should be able to find a local centre via the directory link below.

Help Wildlife

Please note, links from this website are only provided for information and we can accept no responsibility for the sites or any of the information found on them. Linking to a site does not mean an endorsement.

It is also worth speaking to local vets to see if they are able to help wildlife, if you find a vet that would like to help but are unsure about treatment for wild animals you are very welcome to pass on our number for them to speak to our nurses about the treatment regimes we use here.

Important

PLEASE NOTE: When you bring a wild animal in to us for treatment we ask that you sign all of their care over to us, this means that we will look after all aspects of their treatment including release. We cannot return a wild animal to you for you to care for or release.

Wildlife Advice

Want to find out more about wildlife? See our Wildlife Advice pages for information on a whole variety of different species.

A simple DIY kit for wildlife rescue:

  • Thick Gloves
  • Old Blanket
  • Cardboard Box
  • Old Towels
  • Hessian Sack
  • Thick Elastic Band
  • A Net
  • Fluorescent Jacket
  • Strong Torch

Keep these items in the boot of your car (or at a specific location at home) so they are at hand in case you find an animal in need.  Remember, do not attempt to handle large animals, please call us or a local rescue centre.

There are a number of ways you can help and support our life-saving work.