How to help injured wildlife

It is quite common for baby birds to leave the nest a bit earlier than you might expect, sometimes before they can fly. Baby blackbirds, tawny owls and seagulls are well known for this. As long as their parents are still around and caring for them then the best thing to do is leave them alone. Your presence may stop the parents from looking after them so it is best to keep an eye on them from a distance to make sure they are still being cared for.

If the baby is in a dangerous location then you can move them to a nearby safer spot as long as their parents can still reach them. It is a myth that parent birds will abandon their young if handled by humans.

For more advice head to the Wildlife Trusts website here. 

Hedgehogs usually hibernate between November to mid-March, but they can sometimes be seen out and about during this period changing nesting sites. It is unusual to see a hedgehog around during winter or in daylight, so if you do see one and it looks unwell, it might need a helping hand.

Contact The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, who can offer in depth advice and help you find a local rescue centre. If you are adviced to intervene follow these steps:

• Prepare a cardboard box with high sides by lining it with a towel or scrunched up newspaper (so that the hedgehog can hide).
• Find yourself a pair of gardening gloves before gently scooping up the hedgehog into the box.
• Keep the box in a quiet, warm place: a hot water bottle filled with hot tap water wrapped in a towel can provide a gentle heat source – make sure it doesn’t go cold!
• You can provide some fresh water and meaty cat or dog food, but don't try to feed the hedgehog directly.

Bats are nocturnal so it is unusual to see them during the day or in busy buildings.

Signs there may be a problem:

• Found on the ground 
• Exposed during the day
• Trapped in the living area of a building
• Caught by a cat
• Baby bat on its own
• Obvious injury or trapped on flypaper/fishing hook

Who to contact:

The Bat Conservation Trust has a National Bat Helpline that can provide advice and contact details for local rehabilitators.

If immediate action required:

• Prepare a shoe box (or similar sized box) with ventilation holes and line with clean cloth or a tea towel.
• ALWAYS wear protective gloves and try not to handle the bat directly. If bitten or scratched, seek immediate medical advice.
• Try to capture the bat like you would a spider, placing the box over the top and then sliding the lid gently underneath.
• If that’s not possible, try to cover the bat with a clean cloth and scoop up to put in the box.
• You could include a plastic bottle cap, like a milk bottle cap, with a few drops of water
• Keep in a quiet safe location whilst seeking help.

Finding a stranded animal can be distressing. Though your first instinct may be to try to help it back into the water, you should never try to do this - they have stranded for a reason and require urgent professional medical attention.

Keep your distance, and keep other people, dogs, and gulls away. They are wild animals so contact with or proximity to humans can add additional stress to an already distressing situation, and you also put yourself at risk of injury if the animal thrashes or tries to move. Direct contact can also transmit disease.

Contact the relevant organisation as soon as possible using the details above. Note your location, the state of the tide, and any obvious injuries you can see.

Below are some guidelines for commonly reported strandings. For specific details on dealing with live strandings, visit the BDMLR website. Please do not try to deal with a stranded animal alone - always call for help.