Copyright © 2007 · Valley Forge NWR · All rights reserved.
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Rescue protocols
valleyforge.org.uk
alley Forge Native Wildlife Refuge is entirely on private property and is NOT open to the
general public. We are not a zoo or animal park and rescued wild animals still in our care
are never put on direct public display.
We believe that birds or mammals that are to be returned to the wild, must not be
exposed to unnecessary human contact, so that they do not become unwary of what
unfortunately often remains the greatest danger to them. That’s specifically why we
choose to be here, in such a secluded location with few near neighbours.
Consequently, we do NOT allow unauthorized visitors onto our premises, for security
reasons and for quarantine control purposes.
If you have a rescued wild animal that you might want us to take into care, please
contact us to first confirm that we are able to assist. We have very limited resources and
simply cannot offer a place here for every possible casualty ... often other rehabilitation
facilities may be more suitable for some species, and we can give advice as appropriate.
If we should be in a position to help, invariably WE will arrange to come to YOU ...
or can meet you at an agreed rendezvous point ... so that triage
for each casualty takes place off-site, allowing us to minimize any
risk of introducing diseased animals here, and also to allow a
valued judgement as to where & how appropriate initial
treatment and/or care should occur.
Our first priority must always be to safeguard the well-being
of those birds & mammals already in our care. Unfortunately,
this means that on occasions we may be unable to admit
certain casualties, irrespective of all other factors.
V
If you are unsure whether or
not any wild animal needs to
be rescued, contact us first
for advice before handling.
We are contactable for
wildlife advice & support
Monday - Friday
0800hrs - 2100hrs.
Valley Forge Wildlife Rescue service
may NOT be called upon to relocate
unwanted protected wildlife species
from your land, home, or business.
If we have reason to believe that
wildlife laws have been broken, we
will report all such incidences to the
police and/or appropriate authority.
EMERGENCY AID
When & how to contact
a vet directly ...
If you find yourself in the position of being the first caring person to encounter a possible
wildlife casualty, your actions can perhaps mean the difference between life & death for that
animal, or injury to yourself :
•
whenever possible, avoid touching/handling any young mammal, until you properly
establish that it needs to be rescued. Many of our mammal species naturally leave their
offspring unattended for several hours, before returning to suckle them. Roe deer kids,
rabbit kits, leverets and rodent pups are the most common infant mammals to be
‘rescued’ needlessly by well-meaning people who find them. If you handle them however,
your transferred scent may be enough for them to be abandoned (or eaten) by their
parent, if later advised to return them where you found them; so if you do need to move
them out of immediate harms way, first try to usher them (or gently scoop them into a
container) without actually picking them up, or wear gloves, or as a very last resort, first
rub soil into your hands. Replace as close as possible to where found.
•
many of our common garden & countryside birds naturally leave (fledge) the nest before
they are able to fly, or feed, or fend for themselves. The parent birds will normally be in
attendance close-by however; so unless fledglings are in immediate apparent danger
(from a cat, or traffic, for example), please don’t handle them. If you do though, there is
not the same danger, as with mammals, of your transferred scent unsettling the parent
birds. Don’t try to put fledglings back in a nest, just put them in a tree, bush, or
somewhere safe where their parent can find them, close to where found.
•
some of our native species are capable of inflicting painful and/or serious injuries to you,
if you are not experienced/equipped to properly handle them. Badgers, otters, pine
martens, squirrels, foxes and wildcats are best not handled ... contact us, as we have
both the experience and specialized handling equipment to deal with them safely. Rabbits
and hares won’t normally bite, but will kick more violently than expected and rake your
skin with sharp claws. Many of our larger birds (sea birds particularly), will be inclined to
stab at your face, so hold them only at arms-legnth, or wear eye protection. Birds of prey
are much more likely to inflict injury from their talons’ powerful grip on your hands than
from their beaks, so wearing heavy gloves is necessary.
Because we are only a small, self-funded organization, we regretfully
do not have the necessary resources to provide round-the-clock wildlife
rescue or support services.
However, we are generally contactable by telephone or e-mail most
weekdays, and often over the weekend too. Our land-line and mobile
numbers have the capability to record your message if we’re not
immediately available.
If you have an enquiry about wildlife that is non-urgent, please e-mail
us and we’ll respond just as soon as we can.
Valley Forge Native Wildlife Refuge personnel are NOT vets, and
although we work closely with a number of veterinary practices
(depending on patient species), we do not have a veterinary
surgeon on-site here.
We are able to provide first aid only, and of course the facilities for
the recuperation, rehabilitation, or long-term refuge for wildlife
casualties.
If you have already contained an injured animal and it is clearly in
need of immediate veterinary assistance (i.e. bleeding profusely, an
open wound exposing muscle or bone, fractured limb, attacked by a
cat*, etc.), then your first course of action should be to contact a
vet directly and without delay. All UK veterinary practices operate
an out-of-hours on-call service, which is required by regulation.
If you are not sure of the location of your nearest vet, you can
quickly find contact details for all in your area at this link:
* bacteria in the mouth of a cat may cause a fatal infection to
wildlife cat-bite victims, if antibiotics are not quickly administered.