ADVICE/WHAT TO DO

Don’t panic. In many cases, the best thing to do is simply keep the animal safe, quiet and warm while you get advice.

📞 If you’re unsure, call us:
07553 201825

Not every baby bird is orphaned.

• Fully feathered and hopping around? It may be a fledgling and its parents are probably nearby.

• Very young, poorly feathered or naked? It may need help.

• If safe to do so, look around for the nest and parents.

• Don’t give food or water unless advised by a wildlife rehabilitator.

• Keep cats, dogs and children away from the bird.

• If injured, cold, bleeding or obviously unwell, contact us for advice.

A hedgehog may need help if it is:

• Out during the daytime and appears unwell or distressed

• Injured or bleeding

• Covered in flies or fly eggs

• Extremely thin or weak

• Found somewhere dangerous, such as a road

• A baby found without its mother

Place it somewhere quiet, secure and warm and contact us.

Do not attempt to make it fly.

If it has been caught by a cat, is injured, grounded in an unusual place or appears weak, it may require treatment even if you cannot see an obvious injury.

Keep it contained somewhere dark, quiet and secure and contact us.

Never attempt to handle a bird of prey unless you have been advised how to do so.

Young squirrels can sometimes be safely reunited with their mother, depending on their age and circumstances.

If the youngster is cold, injured, weak, covered in parasites or has been caught by a cat or dog, it needs professional advice.

Keep it warm, quiet and secure while you contact us.

A fox lying quietly doesn’t necessarily mean it needs rescuing.

However, contact us if you see a fox that is:

• Injured or bleeding

• Unable to stand or walk normally

• Trapped

• Extremely weak or collapsed

• Showing obvious neurological abnormalities

Do not attempt to catch an adult fox yourself.

Bats are delicate and can carry diseases that require appropriate precautions.

Don’t handle a bat with bare hands.

If it is grounded, injured or trapped inside a building, contact us for advice before attempting to move it.

Please don’t approach, chase or attempt to catch a deer yourself.

Deer are wild animals and can become extremely stressed when approached. An apparently injured deer may also be capable of causing serious injury.

🟢 A deer lying down

A deer may lie down simply to rest. Do not assume it is injured just because it is lying still.

Observe from a safe distance and look for signs that something is wrong, such as:

• Obvious bleeding or a visible injury

• Difficulty standing or walking

• A leg that appears broken or is being held abnormally

• Being trapped or caught in fencing

• Being hit by a vehicle

• Repeatedly attempting to stand but being unable to

• Severe weakness or collapse

• A young deer apparently alone with clear signs of injury or illness

Keep dogs and people well away and contact us for advice.

🦌 Found a fawn?

Do not automatically pick up a lone fawn.

Young deer are often left hidden by their mothers while the mother feeds nearby. Finding a fawn alone does not necessarily mean it has been abandoned.

If the fawn is:

• Bright and alert

• Warm

• Uninjured

• Quietly lying or sitting in cover

…it may be best to leave it exactly where it is and keep people and dogs away.

If it is injured, cold, weak, distressed or in immediate danger, contact us before moving it if possible.

🚗 Deer involved in a road traffic accident

If you find an injured deer on or beside a road:

Put your own safety first.

Do not stand in the road or attempt to approach a frightened deer. Contact the appropriate emergency service/road authority and a wildlife rescue or deer rescue organisation for advice.

Never attempt to put yourself between a deer and traffic.

⚠️ Important

Please don’t give a deer food or water unless you have been specifically advised to do so.

And please don’t attempt to transport an adult deer yourself unless a professional has advised you how to do so.

If you’re unsure, call us on 07553 201825.