I’ve Just Had My Own ‘Wildlife Emergency’ And Here’s Why ‘Being Prepared’ Can Make A Big Difference…

What a difference such simple steps such as ‘having the right kit’, ‘knowing where to take wildlife to’ & ‘being able to get there’ makes.

‘Being prepared’ can ensure that finding a poorly/injured wild creature can be a swift & rewarding experience for us humans, whilst also giving the wild animal in question their best chance at survival/recovery.

This has personally been proven to me again this evening...

While running UK Wildlife Transporters, I have only rarely stumbled across my own ‘wildlife emergency’ situations where I live.  However, I am writing this post having just had a close acquaintance call me about a pigeon, with an injury - likely the victim of a cat attack - whom they’d found on a dog walk.

• I was prepared with the right equipment to help…  Within ten minutes I had walked to where they were with a carrier and 2 towels and the little one was in the carrier.

• I was prepared for where I could take the little one…  Because I have made sure that I already know which Vet Practices & Wildlife Rescues in my area can provide swift care, I phoned a wildlife friendly, out of hours Vet Practice while I walked to where the bird was, to say that I was going to be bringing a wildlife casualty to them, so that they were ready to see the bird on arrival.

• I was able to get there... The kind person who had found the bird had rushed to grab their car while I was popping the bird in the carrier and within another 8 minutes the pigeon - who was a youngster - was at the vets being checked over by a RVN who was willing to give them a chance, providing pain relief and antibiotics and a warm enclosure and food/drink. [Sadly, the little one didn't survive the ordeal, they were too badly injured, but the suffering they endured was short lived, thanks to quick intervention.] The whole thing, from the call to pain relief, was just under 20mins.

Now, not everyone’s nearest out of hours Vet Practice is a 6 minute drive away BUT all of us CAN get ourselves prepared to know what to do to help unwell/orphaned wildlife, by… 

• 1. Having suitable equipment. 

• 2. Knowing just where our nearest Wildlife Rescues/Vet Practices are. 

• And 3. Either having our own transport or knowing how we can find the transport support that we might need, in an emergency.

Being prepared can make all the difference...

---

[In running UKWT since 2020, I have personally taken over 3000 calls from members of the public who have found wildlife casualties/orphans.  In most cases, the callers had been trying for hours - sometimes for days - to get the basic information on what to do and where to take them.   In a lot of cases, the wrong food had already been given to the casualty, while the caller tried to find help - sometimes any food/water at all is wrong - and the casualties had been kept in inappropriate conditions that had lessened their chances of survival.

In a lot of cases, due to the time it took to find help and the wrong care being given (with the best of intentions) the casualties/orphans didn't survive, when they might have done if the caller had been prepared and had been able to help the little one a lot faster.

UKWT runs ‘Getting Prepared’ online training and/or sells a ‘Getting Prepared E-Book’ to both ‘get everyone prepared’ and to fund our transport service to ensure that every wild life in trouble always gets to the emergency medical/rehabilitative care that they deserve.]