Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation

For those with a wildlife casualty looking for a rehabilitation centre please click here to find a directory and map of wildlife rehabilitation centres near to you.
PLEASE NOTE: Although I am able to advise and in some cases help with wildlife rescues, Wild About Britain is  NOT a wildlife rehabilitation centre so please do not drop wildlife at our door without contacting first.

Please read the full page for advice on whether the animal in question requires a wildlife rehabber.

If you require help with wildlife in or near to Cranleigh you can get in touch with myself (Connie) and leave me a message at 07419 118917 with information on your location, the animal in question and the situation. A photo sent over of the animal would also be useful. I will get back to you as soon as possible. I will do my best to advise on all wildlife, and will occasionally take on orphaned (baby) birds and mammals at my location. If I do take on any wildlife you have contacted me about or I transfer any to other centres for you I would be grateful for a donation towards it's care and transport - please contact me to organise this.

If the animal is injured and in need of immediate medical assitance please take to your nearest vets (Brookmead Vets in Cranleigh will usually provide first aid for wildlife). If you can make the journey to Wildlife Aid in Leatherhead they will admit all British native wildlife (other than deer). Harper Asprey in Windlesham will take on most wildlife including deer, however please call them first.

What should you do with sick/injured/orphaned wildlife?
If you have found wildlife in need of rescuing (obviously sick, injured or orphaned) please keep the animal secured in a box in a dark, quiet and warm location whilst you seek advice from a specialist. Please be as hands off and as quiet as possible. Sick and frightened animals often act docile and many people choose to stroke them or speak to them in an attempt to provide comfort. This only makes their stress levels higher and worsens their situation. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FEED IT OR FORCE IT TO DRINK ANYTHING UNLESS YOU HAVE SPECIFICALLY RECEIVED ADVICE TO DO SO BY A WILDLIFE REHABBER. 

How do you know if an animal is in need of help?

• You can get close enough to touch it/pick it up. With the exception of fledgling birds, nests of rodents/birds and fawns, generally a healthy wild animal will not allow a human close enough to touch it. If you can touch a wild animal with the end of a broom without it making much effort to avoid it then it is likely very unwell and in need of help - this is particularly true for adult deer, foxes and badgers. If an adult bird allows you to pick it up then there is definitely something wrong. If in doubt call a wildlife rehabber for advice.
• Visible injuries or ailments. If you can see an obvious injury such as a bloody wound, drooping wing, limping/unable to weight bare on a leg or poor skin/fur/feather condition then you can assume the animal likely needs help. Birds will often puff their feathers out and squint their eyes when they are sick, so look out for this. If it is safe to do so you can catch and contain the animal yourself, however if it is a larger animal (deer/fox/badger/swan/heron etc.), a dangerous situation or too difficult to catch then please keep the animal in sight whilst you contact a wildlife rescue for further advice.
• The presence of flies or regular unwanted attention from other animals. Sometimes it may not be possible to see an injury, however if an animal is attracting lots of flies it can often be due to a wound and it is at high risk of fly strike (fly egg/maggot infestation). Flies will lay their eggs on injured or very sick animals. Poorly animals will often get picked on by others of their species or by scavengers. For example, corvids (crows etc.) will often hang around and pick at other wildlife if it is showing signs of weakness.
• Showing unusual behaviour. If you see a usually nocturnal animal out during the day, such as hedgehogs and bats, it is likely unwell or in poor condition. If the animal is not as mobile as you expect it should be this is also a concern. Be aware of how long an animal has been resting in the same place for, as a sick or injured animal will try to conserve as much energy as possible by remaining in the same place for long periods of time. Look out for unusual movements and overly tame behaviour as this could indicate a neurological issue.
• It has been in possible contact with a cat. Cats have a deadly bacteria in their saliva which will enter their victim through the tiniest of skin tears. Even if you cannot see an injury and the animal seems bright and alert, the chances are it would decline over the next 2-3 days before it dies from septicaemia if it has been in contact with a cat. To avoid this the animal will require antibiotics to survive, preferably within 24hrs of the cat attack. Cat attack wildlife must always go to wildlife rescue to receive antibiotics to have a good chance of survival.
• A window strike bird has not recovered within an hour of the impact. Birds do often fly into windows due to their difficulty in perceiving glass. This can result in anything from a mild stun to severe injury or death. If you see a bird on the floor beneath a window remaining unusually still without obvious injury, gently pick the bird up and place it in a box in a dark, quiet and warm area without food or water. This will allow the bird to remain safe from predators whilst it recovers from being stunned with minimal stress. After 30mins take the box back outside in the same location it was found and open it up. If the bird doesn't fly straight off, close the lid again and return it to the dark, quiet and warm area for another 30mins. After that full hour is up, try again to release the bird. If the bird still fails to fly off, you can assume it likely requires a wildlife rehabber for further care.
• A mammal is abandoned. If you are worried that a baby animal has been abandoned it is important to not act straight away. Sometimes mammals (rodents, stoats, hedgehogs, foxes, badgers etc.) will move their young to new nest sites and could've been startled and dropped one on their way. They will often be back soon to retrieve them. They will not do this until they believe it is safe, so if possible hang around at a distance so you don't put them off and keep an eye on the baby. If there is no sign of it's parents after a few hours and/or the baby is in immediate danger from predators or cars then contact a wildlife rescue for advice. Rabbits, hare and deer will leave their young for long periods of time, so unless you believe their young is in immediate danger or they are injured leave them well alone.
• A hatchling or nestling bird out of the nest. If you have found a baby bird it can be difficult to know what to do. Generally speaking hatchlings and nestlings should never be out of their nest (not applicable for some species such as waterfowl and waders). Hatchlings and nestlings are completely vulnerable - the parents will not care for them outside of the nest.  If you cannot return a hatchling or nestling to the nest it came from (if uninjured), keep it somewhere warm whilst you find a wildlife rehabber to take it. For the most part it is not necessary to interfere with fledglings. They do not need rescuing unless in immediate danger, present any obvious injury or have been the victim of a cat attack. If they are in immediate danger on the floor, try to place them in a nearby tree or shrub in the highest branch you can reach. Fledglings are still reliant on their parents to feed them, so if you are worried that they have been abandoned watch carefully from a distance for any signs of their parents feeding them.  If after 4hrs the fledgling has had no parents tending to it, it is likely that it's been abandoned and may need rescuing. If unsure ask advice from a wildlife rehabber. 

​What is the difference between a hatchling, nestling and fledgling bird?
A hatchling is a bird that usually still has it's eyes sealed shut and is completely featherless. Many species will have patches of wispy fluff on their head and/or back. They have large rubbery looking gape flanges that are usually bright yellow or red (the rubbery bits around the mouth). They are totally incapable of flight or standing up and are not wary of people or predators.
A nestling bird usually has eyes open and will have pin feathers coming through that will begin to unfurl into feathers. For young nestlings you would still be able to see patches of bare skin, for older nestling they may look fully feathered but close up you will still see pins. Their gape flanges remain fairly obvious. At this stage they will flap their wings to exercise but will not be able to take flight. They may be able to stand upright on their feet for short periods of time, however would spend much of their time lay down. Older nestlings will begin to develop a wariness towards people and predators.
A fledgling is a fully feathered bird of the correct age to leave the nest. You may notice it has slightly shorter tail and flight feathers than adults, but will have little to no pins left. Their gape flanges will be less noticeable. After fledging most species should be capable of short flights, hops and climbing as soon as they've left the nest to enable them to reach safe areas independently. They will spend their time always stood rather than laying down.  At this age they should be wary of people and predators and actively avoid human contact.