Hedgehog nest
If you uncover a nest of hoglets, cover it again quickly with gloved hands. Don’t touch the babies: your smell may make the mother abandon them. Check quietly after an hour; if she hasn’t come back, phone us.
Injured wildlife advice · Thorrington, Colchester, Essex
Found a sick, injured or orphaned wild animal?
Contain it, keep it warm and quiet, and get professional help. Not every animal on its own needs rescuing, so read on, and if you're unsure, always phone and ask.
Wildlives urgent advice
07802 767016Does it really need help?
Any wild animal needs help straight away if:
- It has been caught by a cat. Even a tiny scratch can cause fatal blood poisoning. It needs antibiotics.
- It is tangled in something. Wire, netting, fishing line. Don’t try to remove it yourself: contain it or keep watch, and phone.
- It has obvious injuries. Blood, broken limbs and the like.
- It has maggots or is attracting flies.
- It is completely collapsed. It doesn’t react as you come near.
It may also need help if you see:
- A hedgehog out in daylight
- Hedgehogs are strictly nocturnal. One out by day needs help.
- A small hedgehog after October
- A hedgehog needs to weigh at least 600g to survive hibernation. Late babies and thin adults won’t wake up.
- A rabbit with myxomatosis
- Red, swollen eyes, sitting out in the open and barely moving. There is no cure; we can stop its suffering.
- An oiled seabird
- Never try to clean it. It needs to be treated for poisoning, then a long rehabilitation to get its waterproofing back.
- A water bird with fishing tackle
- Line or a swallowed hook. Contain it if you can, and never pull the tackle out.
Babies on their own: wait and watch first
Young animals are always better off with their own parents, and by the time a "rescued" baby reaches us it is usually too late to put it back. If it's in danger, move it a short way to safety. Then leave it for an hour or so and check again. Usually the mother is close by and comes back once you've gone.
Young birds
Feathered fledglings hopping about in spring and summer have left the nest on purpose, and their parents are still feeding them. Keep cats in for a couple of days. Tiny birds that are bald or fluffy with down, and can be picked up easily, do need help.
Fox cubs
A vixen moving her cubs may drop one on the way, and she will come back for it. Move it out of danger, check again after an hour, and note exactly where you found it before you call.
Deer fawns
Fawns lie hidden while their mother feeds. Leave an uninjured fawn alone. If it is hurt, or you know something has happened to the mother, stay quiet, handle it as little as possible and phone straight away.
While you get help
A box with a lid, plenty of air holes and an old towel in the bottom is ideal. Then:
Handle with care
Wear gloves and pick it up in a towel. Hold a bird over its back with its wings against its body. Mind an owl’s or kestrel’s talons, and hold the back of a seabird’s head before you lift it. Never try to handle a fox or a badger: keep it in sight and phone.
Keep stress down
A wild animal sees you as a predator, even when you’re helping. Keep it in the dark, keep quiet and handle it as little as possible.
Warmth, not heat
Orphans and collapsed, cold animals need a warm water bottle. It must not be hot, and it must be covered: we have had animals brought in with burns.
Water, never milk
Put down clean water, but don’t try to feed it. Cows’ milk can kill birds, hedgehogs and other small mammals.
Keep pets away
Don’t put a wild animal anywhere near dogs, cats or poultry. An injured partridge once put in a chicken coop to wait was badly hurt by the chickens.
Who to call
- Wildlives, urgent advice
- 07802 7670169.30am to 4.30pm, every day
- Wildlives landline
- 01206 251174
- Out of hours: RSPCA
- 0300 1234 999
- info@wildlives.org.ukNot for emergencies: it isn't checked every day.
We only admit animals after a phone call, when we'll explain what happens next. The centre isn't open to visitors.