Report cruelty or neglect

Because bird flu is still affecting many birds across the UK, it’s very important to take precautions to keep yourself safe as it can affect humans too. If you do find a sick or injured bird, please call us us on 0300 123 8967.

It's quite common to see a baby bird out of the nest as they are learning to fly and usually they don't need rescuing. If you find a baby bird, keep your pets away and follow our detailed advice on what to do.

Trapped in a building

It's not unusual for birds to sometimes enter a house or shed. They will normally leave pretty quickly if you follow a few simple steps such as opening external doors and windows and turning off the lights. If you suspect a bird is living or nesting in your property please contact Environmental Health at your local council. Alternatively you can wait until the bird and its young have left and then block up any holes they have been using to access the building.

Trapped in a chimney

If it is a gas fire, contact a registered Gas Safe engineer to disconnect the gas supply before any rescue can be attempted. Once the gas supply has been disconnected, open external doors and windows, making sure you pull any curtains out of the way. You can also place a torch at the bottom of the chimney (facing down towards the floor) to help coax the bird towards the light. You should then leave the room quiet and empty. This may take some time, so leave the room undisturbed for a few hours. Remember that some birds will have multiple broods in the same year, so the nest may still be in use even if you've seen birds leaving it recently.

Entangled

If a bird is entangled, for example in netting, and cannot free itself or you can’t safely help it to get free, please call us on 0300 123 8967.

Although hedgehogs are nocturnal, they are sometimes seen during the day. This in itself doesn’t mean that the hedgehog needs help. A hedgehog is likely sick or injured if:

• There is obvious sign of injury (like an open wound, or burnt or damaged spines)
• It doesn't seem interested in the food you've put out
• The hedgehog is staggering, wobbly, walking around in circles or lethargic
• You can see a large number of flies or ticks on the hedgehog
• You can see any maggots or fly eggs on the hedgehog
• The hedgehog does not roll up or try to roll up when you approach or touch it

You should also help hedgehogs if:

• The weather is cold - regular ground frost, snow, or temperatures are at or below freezing for several days
• It weighs less than 300g (about the size of an apple)
• It is in immediate danger, for example on a road

If you find a hedgehog like this, use our detailed advice to handle the hedgehog and transport it to a vet or wildlife rehabilitator.

If you find a baby hedgehog on their own it’s usually best to leave them alone as their parent is probably close by. If you monitor the animal and a parent is not close by, the best way to help the young hedgehog will depend on how much it weighs and the time of year. Read our detailed advice.

If a hedgehog is trapped and can’t free itself, or you can’t safely help it to get free, for example if it’s trapped down a drain or entangled in netting, please call us on 0300 123 8967.

Myxomatosis is a very infectious disease which is widespread in wild rabbits. Symptoms include:

• Lumps on the head and body
• Swelling around the lips, nose, eyes and ears and their back end
• Runny eyes
• Pus coming from the nose and eyes

If you find a wild rabbit or hare that you think might be diseased, or have another illness or injury, the best thing to do is take it to a vet or rehabilitator as soon as possible. Read our detailed advice on how to do this.

It’s normal for baby hares to be left alone for long periods of time, even when they’re very young. Their mother will usually come back around dusk to feed them. However, baby rabbits will stay in their burrow until they’re about three weeks old, so if you see them above ground before this age then they will need help.

If any of these apply, the baby rabbit or hare will need to be rescued straight away:

• They’re injured
• They’ve been caught by a dog or cat
• They are covered with flies’ eggs (these look like small grains of rice)
• Their eyes are closed, or they’re not covered in fur. This will be a baby rabbit that’s been dug out of the warren, so check for any other baby rabbits nearby
• You can see their mother is dead nearby. A mother rabbit or hare will have bald patches on her chest where the babies feed

If these apply, use our detailed advice to handle the rabbit/hare and transport it to a wildlife rehabilitator.

If a rabbit or hare is trapped or entangled, for example in netting, and cannot free itself or you can’t safely help it to get free, please call us on 0300 123 8967.

If you find a sick or injured rat or mouse, follow our detailed advice on how to handle and transport small wild rodents to a wildlife rehabilitator or vet.

Please don’t try to look after them yourself - wild rodents have very different needs to pet rats and mice, and they need specialist care to give them the best chance of release back into the wild.

If you find a baby rat or mouse that is moving around, has fur covering its body and its eyes are open, the best thing to do is leave it alone. You might find a single baby mouse that’s been dropped by its mother, because they move their young to a different nest if they’ve been disturbed. Keep away and monitor the baby, as the mother should come back to pick it up within a few hours.

If any of the following apply, the baby needs rescuing as it may be orphaned:

• The baby rodent has no fur or its eyes are closed, and it’s out of the nest
• You can see the dead parents nearby
• The parents haven’t returned to the nest after two hours of monitoring

If these apply, follow our detailed advice on how to handle and transport small wild rodents to a wildlife rehabilitator or vet.

Trapped in a building

It's not unusual for rats and mice to enter a house or shed (and they are sometimes brought in by pet cats). If the animal doesn’t seem injured and is moving around, you can help it find a way out of your house on its own. You can do this by leaving open doors to create a route straight outside, and shutting all other doors. Keep any pets well away when you do this. You could also try using a live-capture trap baited with food, but make sure you check the trap every two hours so the rodent isn’t left in there for too long.

Trapped and can’t escape

If a rat or mouse is trapped and cannot free itself, or you can’t safely help it to get free, for example if it is stuck in a trap, please call us on 0300 123 8967.

If you find a sick or injured frog or toad, visit the Froglife website for more advice about how to help them. It can be difficult to treat amphibians, so sometimes it’s best to leave them in the garden to recover on their own.

If the animal is seriously sick or injured, then the quickest way to get them help will be to contact a vet or rehabilitator. Read our detailed advice on how to handle and transport them.

If a frog or toad is entangled, for example in netting, and cannot free itself or you can’t safely help it to get free, please call us on 0300 123 8967.

Unfortunately it is illegal to rehabilitate and release grey squirrels as they are an invasive species, so please only remove them if they are suffering. If you find an injured or sick grey squirrel who you feel is suffering, please take them to your local vet, who can put them to sleep humanely.

The law doesn’t affect red squirrels, so it is still legal to rehabilitate and release red squirrel infants. If the red squirrel is injured or orphaned, please contact a local wildlife rehabilitator or vet.

If you find a baby squirrel, the best thing to do is to keep it where you found it, keep pets away and follow these tips:

• Check the area for any other siblings which may also need help.
• The baby should cry which will encourage the mother to collect her infant. You can also play squirrel baby distress noises (available online).
• If a baby squirrel or their nest has fallen to the ground, put them back in the tree for the mother to collect. The safest way to do this is to use a basket or pot you can put the nest in and hang or place in the tree.
• If the nest hasn't fallen with the squirrel you can find leaves and small twigs to keep in the basket with the squirrels. Using a basket and securely placing it in the tree will be the best way to protect the baby squirrels from predators.
• Don't give a baby squirrel food or water, as this can do more harm than good.

Read our detailed advice on what to do if you find a baby squirrel.

Trapped in a building

If squirrels enter a house or shed they will normally leave pretty quickly if you follow a few simple steps such as open external doors and windows, turn off the lights and put strong smelling food at exit points.

If you suspect a squirrel is living or nesting in your property please contact Environmental Health at your local council. Alternatively you can wait until the squirrel and its young have left and then block up any holes they have been using to access the building.

Trapped in a chimney

If it is a gas fire, contact a registered Gas Safe engineer to disconnect the gas supply before any rescue can be attempted. Once the gas supply has been disconnected, open external doors and windows, making sure you pull any curtains out of the way. You can also place a torch at the bottom of the chimney (facing down towards the floor) to help coax the squirrel towards the light. You should then leave the room quiet and empty. This may take some time, so leave the room undisturbed for a few hours.

Entangled

If a squirrel is entangled, for example in netting, and cannot free itself or you can’t safely help it to get free, please call us on 0300 123 8967.

Bats need highly specialised care, so please don’t try to look after a sick or injured bat yourself. Instead, contact the Bat Conservation Trust on their website or by calling their helpline on 0345 1300 228. They will tell you how you can help the bat, and how to handle and transport a bat safely.

Young bats will need specialist care if they are orphaned, so contact the Bat Conservation Trust who can put you in touch with your local bat carer for more advice.

Trapped in a building

If a bat is trapped in your house and it’s night time, keep the room calm and quiet. Close doors to contain the bat in one room, then open all the windows as widely as you can. Move anything that might block the bat’s way out the window, such as the curtains. Finally, dim the lights and the bat should make its own way out of the room. Remember to check that the bat has left and isn't hiding behind furniture or curtains.

If the bat isn’t flying, or it’s during the day, contact the Bat Conservation Trust on 0345 1300 228 for help.