Highland Wildlife Rescue

24/06/2026

SUMMER SOLSTICE SIX 🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔🦔

WOODY's hoglets born on the longest day are now all sponsored and with a lovely Midsummery theme.

The two girls are Aurora by Nicki Upperton and Titania by Kirsty Buchanan

The four boys are Cyrus by Debbie Delonnette, Helios by Katie McNeil, Obi by Debbie O'Hara, Sol by Ava and Calum Kerr and Titania by Kirsty Buchanan's mum.

Sponsorship is such a vital support for our patients helping to cover the cost of warmth, food, medications if needed, and bedding. Sponsors name their patients whilst in care and although we won't be able to provide much of an update on these tiddlers for a while but their sponsors have made sure they have everything they need at such a vital time.

We were able to smoothly transition mum amd all 6 hoglets from our Hogspital where she gave birth, to a maternity pen in a quiet outbuilding. Minimising disturbance and stress is absolutely key if she's to have a chance of rearing these to weaning stage herself at which point we will help out 💚

23/06/2026

Babies of all species coming in thick and fast now!

This morning our lovely Hogspital volunteer Julie rechecked a mum hedgehog that was behaving weirdly in her friend Meg's garden.

We had offered advice late last night which was followed perfectly. When mum was found in the same spot away from her nest this morning she, now named WILLOW thanks to Meg and her daughter Lily's sponsorship, was uplifted and travelled separately from her SIX hoglets by Julie.

They are about 2 weeks old, eyes just opened, weighing between 71 and 92g. They're in pretty good condition, considering they hadn't fed for at least 14 hours.

We caught this wee one on camera during triage checks of the 3 girls, and 3 boys - one wee girl called LILY, in honour of her finder....Lily.

Mum WILLOW has an infected eye injury, and was a bit dehydrated but otherwise ok so she has started treatment.

Busy season is well underway!

22/06/2026

PEBBLE

Two little Oystercatcher chicks were found by Lauren's cat last week and one had suffered injuries it couldn't survive.

Thankfully one of our super transporters Lisa was available to drive the survivor plus an injured, juvenile Great Spotted Woodpecker, and a nestling Pied Wagtail to us from an Inverness rendezvous, after collecting a very poorly hedgehog first, on Friday!

This season, so far, our tremendous transporters have brought patients to us from all across an area bigger than Belgium! Solo drives, multi-point relays, ferry rides, collections, pickups, handovers... it has been SO incredible.

With a drastic reduction in SSPCA coverage in our vast area these precious people are proving to be one of our biggest assets.

So from us and PEBBLE - an ENORMOUS thank you 💚

To join our wonderful transport volunteer team and help more wild VIPs (very important patients) reach us, just message us your location and contact number - we'll send some information and can add you to our WhatsApp group.

Best of all there's no expectation - help when you can, if you can, and be a vital part of their journey back to the wild 💚

22/06/2026

Catch up with us as part of David's visit to our neck of the woods.

56 minutes in....we have a chat, a tiny patient intake, then a badly injured patient, and a final catch up before he's off on his travels again.

If you like this episode, subscribe to his YouTube channel and catch up on Scottishmaninavan fabulous journey around Scotland ▶️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

This week my journey around the entire coast of mainland Scotland c...

21/06/2026

SOLSTICE HOGLETS

A quick move to a nursery pen for these 6 newborns and their mum.....
....full story later 💚

21/06/2026

HAPPY OUTCOME 💚

A HUGE shout out to GMR Henderson Building Contractor, Aggregate supplier & Plant Hire. who responded to a plea for help from Liz in Wick when she saw this Jackdaw youngster entangled by one leg dangling from a broken fascia board.

Nesting material had wrapped tightly around his leg, and he couldn't free himself. The height of the building made it impossible for a rescue mission by members of the public but by chance the hero builders were working nearby and responded immediately.

All that twirling and struggling made matters worse and we know that cutting trapped animals loose can be the start of a new set of issues - restricted blood flow returning to damaged tissues, ligature wounds - checks are needed.

So he was freed by cutting the material loose a distance from his leg (picture in comments) and then by good chance Lisa and Alastair were traveling back to the Black Isle by car from Orlney and had messaged to ask me if any patients needed a lift en route!

We carefully removed all the entwined fibres and were relieved to see only minor skin damage. No breaks or dislocations! To get over the shock of his ordeal he had some quiet time amd then another similar aged jackdaw youngster, CHAN, joined him for company.

Exhausted, and a little thin, he has now joined the big Jackdaw crêche to fully recover in chatty company and we couldn't be happier with his progress 💚

20/06/2026

MUIR & McCOLGAN

With the Commonwealth, and European Games coming up, Nicki wanted to honour her two favourite Scottish athletes Laura and Liz, when generously sponsoring these little sister rabbit kits.

When they transferred into our care a few days ago I was really worried about them both. Wild rabbits in particular are especially prone to death from shock from just being kept in short term captivity. Add the fact that they were both under-nourished and dehydrated to the mix and you have a bit of an uphill struggle on your hands.

Intensive care sometimes pays off against the odds and with regular handfeeds, and gentle introduction of fresh handpicked grass and local plants we are making slow but steady progress.

Sponsorship helps with the cost of food, supplements, warmth, medication and bedding. It's a vital boost to our rescue funds and is always hugely appreciated. Thank you Nicki Upperton 🐇🐇

If you've recently expressed an interest in sponsorship but not heard back from us yet, feel free to send us a nudge in a message...we have some patients who need you 💚

18/06/2026

GINNY & INIGO

If you're a lonesome rescued baby weasel your greatest wish must be to at least have a pal for company at your rearing facility.

GINNY found by Sarah, transferred to us by Conanvets Dingwall, transported by Bev, only had to wait 24 hours before she was joined by INIGO whose entire family was killed on the road near Wick. He was uplifted hy Tiffany's daughter who was horrified to have witnessed the tragedy.

Careful introductions were needed to make sure that both weasel kits were happy with each other's company but we needn't have worried. They bonded quickly and have been chatting, playing, sleeping, and eating together since they met.

Same species company at this critical stage of their development is crucial for providing essential warmth, encouraging natural hunting behaviors through play, and prevents over attachment to human carers. It also ensures they develop vital social skills.

Their unique facial markings are very helpful for ID purposes, plus they each have some white toes 💚

17/06/2026

DOUBLE & TROUBLE

Paula had her hands full with these teeny wee pheasant chicks after their mum absent-mindedly headed off without them.

They might be tiny but they're fast and feisty.

Now safely tucked up in one of our critical care units they're feeding well and keeping each other company 💚