Highland Wildlife Rescue

03/06/2026

* 𝗖𝗔𝗧 𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗕 𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗦 𝗔𝗟𝗪𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗡𝗘𝗘𝗗 𝗛𝗘𝗟𝗣 *

These two Song Thrush fledglings were brought into a home by a cat, and needed immediate attention, with multiple injuries.

Luckily for them our lovely vet friend Cal was here and we got their wounds flushed, and antibiotics started immediately.

Even if they had appeared uninjured they would still have needed assessment and treatment, and we are grateful that their finder Karen sought help and arranged for them to come in immediately.

As you can see, 5 days later, they look fabulous, and clearly one is in good voice 🤣

02/06/2026

CLEMENTINE (appears first in the clip) & APRICOT

A little peek into the world of our two Roe fawns who have rejected bottle feeds now in favour of their all day buffet.

This includes their milk formula from a dish, willow, dandelion and buttercup flowers, clover, and young rose leaves/petals (thank you Dani 🌹)

They also have meadow hay and the new shoots from bramble (wild blackberry) plus a little starter feed to help develop their rumen - a delicate job and one that must be undertaken carefully and slowly to avoid digestive issues.

I rather like my foraging time selecting the nicest fresh browse for them and it's been a lovely time of additional learning to meet thier needs.

Just the fence to complete on their paddock and they'll have a bigger area to wander thanks to all of you who donated to their Fawn Paddock fundraiser 💚

01/06/2026

A CLATTERING OF JACKDAWS

Let me start by introducing these little ladies;

Onassis, Bisset, Collins and Du Pré - the Jackies.

Onassis was the first to arrive from Jackie in Beauly (accompanied by 7 ducklings) on Tuesday, a single chatty soul, alone for a few days but did well.

Then Bisset and Collins fell from their nest at the home of Claire who runs the amazing Rover's Pet Euthanasia (who made a wonderful donation to our care costs) making an enchanting chatty trio.

Then yesterday Anna, and Sue, made a transport relay from our SSPCA friends in Inverness to bring Du Pré, and the jacky jacking volume cranked up another notch!

We love a collective noun - one of our favourites is A Flambouyance of Flamingoes! Do you know one that you really like?

31/05/2026

NORI

Unlike some people this little Long Eared owlet doesn't think that the number 13 is unlucky. Not at all!

For him (or her....) being admitted to our Chick Shack as 2026's owlet patient number 13 was the best possible outcome, as he was injured and in need of help.

He was in the rough on the 11th at Newtonmore Golf Club when Tammie spotted him and immediately raised the alarm. Off duty friends from Highland Wildlife Park stepped in to rescue him, and fabulous Phoebe drove him the full 101 miles here after Lauren, an owl expert at the park had checked for any major injuries.

Let's add to his good fortune that we were lucky enough to have a visit yesterday by our lovely friend and awesome vet Cal Major who was able to assist with his detailed triage exam, and initial care.

With a bloodied face, closed and swollen left eyelids, and very poor body condition he could have had a horrible end if left there. Thank you Tammie for sponsoring wee NORI, he is responding well to treatment and care 💚

It takes a network to help Highland wildlife in need and we LOVE the help and support we are fortunate enough to enjoy. Huge thanks to everyone involved 💚

30/05/2026

SATURDAY SQUIRREL UPDATE

April's first week in the soft release enclosure has flown in and she is loving the space, sounds and sights 💚

Here she has a steady supply of food and water, can hone her climbing and caching skills, see the other squirrels in the woodland and has a comfy, safe bed while she prepares for her fully wild life.

In extra exciting news Ash and Tracey have positively IDd BEN on their feeder. He was the first squirrel kit we released there last year, identified by his size, colouring and behaviour, so that's almost a full year of successful wild living following our rearing and release protocol 🥳

Our commitment to APRIL and all the other wild things that we rear is to release them fit to thrive, not just survive so sighting BEN is a huge boost for us all.



📸 Ash & Tracey's photo of APRIL

29/05/2026

FIG

After our first fox cub HONEY arrived from Caithness last weekend we knew she would need cub company and we started checking with other rescues for a suitable pal, but to no immediate avail.

Imagine our surprise when only 48 hours later we received a late night call from Bev and Colin at Bonar Bridge to say they'd found a 4 week old, starving wee cub, covered in ticks trying desperately to gnaw on the skeletal remains of a long dead deer! Welcome FIG!

She is a feisty wee monkey, and doing well so far. Careful introductions will be needed due to the 2 week difference in their ages and sizes but we are hopeful that these girls will be good company for each other and help them be more focussed on each other than us as their rearers.

Keeping wild things truly wild is a top priority for their current and future welfare 💚

29/05/2026

Gull chick season is upon us at what is already a very busy time of year.

We do have capacity to help the ones in real need but not if their places are filled by those that don't need intervention.

Please share this information to help us help those that really need us 💚

Every year, large numbers of healthy young gulls are unnecessarily removed from the wild by well-meaning members of the public who are simply trying to help. We completely understand that instinct, seeing a young bird alone on the ground can be worrying ❤️

In many cases though, their parents are usually nearby, continuing to feed, protect and watch over them. If a healthy gull chick is in immediate danger, such as beside a road, it is often best to simply move them a short distance to a safer nearby location such as a flat roof, sheltered area or secure garden, allowing the parents to continue caring for them naturally.

Once a healthy chick is taken away from its parents, it often has to be raised in captivity unnecessarily, placing additional pressure on already stretched wildlife rescue services during the busiest time of year.

That’s why the British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council has teamed up with RSPCA (England & Wales) and Scottish SPCA to help promote clear, evidence-based guidance on when intervention is genuinely needed, helping protect gull welfare while ensuring rescue spaces remain available for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife that truly require care.

So when should you intervene?

✅ If the chick is visibly injured, weak or unwell
✅ If it has been caught by a cat or dog
✅ If it is a very young nestling in immediate danger, such as near a road or exposed to other hazards

When should you leave them where they are?

❌ If the bird is alert, mobile and otherwise healthy
❌ If parents are not immediately visible, gulls may only return periodically to feed
❌ If adults are swooping nearby, this is usually defensive parenting behaviour and a sign young birds are close

The kindest thing we can often do is observe from a distance and allow wild parents to continue doing what they do best. Please always call your nearest wildlife rescue centre for advice prior to intervening.

You can read the latest guidance here:

Scottish SPCA:
https://www.scottishspca.org/news/wildlife-rescue-organisations-highlight-risks-as-gull-admissions-peak-in-summer-2026/

RSPCA:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/helping-hurting-when-rescuing-gulls-might-do-more-harm-than-good-0gwie/?trackingId=wWyVzOEvQcK4uZRdhCVDVQ%3D%3D

Please help us share this message and support responsible wildlife rescue this summer.

28/05/2026

ARIEL

Good luck to one of our five leverets, released back to the wild weighing an incredible 848g!

Sponsored by Jackie this sweet girl was a fabulous patient and scooted off as if she knew exactly what she was doing.

Our thanks to Liz and Pat for providing a perfect location and making sure she got away safely.

We love rearing these young hares when they need our help and it really is a wonderful feeling seeing them safely back out there, living their wild life again 💚

28/05/2026

Get yourself along to Lybster for some healthy plants grown by James and Jo at Plantman Westlea Plants 🌸

These lovely people hand delivered a staggering £1500 to us yesterday which literally left us speechless - all from their hard work and the generosity of their customers.

There's nothing quite as nice as getting some time outdoors in the sunshine planting up baskets and pots, or adding some colour to a border.

Look how gorgeous they look 😍

Thank you James and Jo, so much, this is hugely appreciated 🌼🌸🌻🌹🌺

27/05/2026

HERMIA

Just a wee HWR cub wishing you all

🦦 HAPPY WORLD OTTER DAY! 🦦

This is our girl nearly 2 months after arriving here from Thurso. We couldn't be happy with her progress.

Despite her amiable appearance in this picture she would happily remove one or more of your fingers or toes if you got close and she has a growl that gives you a clear idea of her intentions.

I did remove a bit of fencing in the top right hand corner with the assistance of AI because her beautiful face deserves all the focus and she shouldn't be held responsible for my poor photography skills. She, however, and her favourite log are entirely original amd authentic 🦦💚