12/04/2025
Taking in a wild animal and caring for it yourself might seem like a great idea 🐾. It’s a special experience to be up close to an animal you’ve never encountered before, but it’s actually much harder than it looks. 😬
There are many factors to consider when rearing wild animals, and it’s important to remember that our goal is always to get the animal back into the wild 🌳. In fact, deliberately taming a wild animal or raising them in a way that prevents their release actually goes against the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 📜.
Each year, we take in animals that have been reared by well-meaning finders. Unfortunately, these animals often have issues that require them to stay in rescue for longer periods or, in some cases, they can’t be released at all 😞. Common issues we see include:
- Feather damage 🪶
- Imprinting or habituation (becoming too used to humans) 🤲
- Animals unable to interact properly with their social groupings 🦅
- Animals unable to identify natural food sources 🍃
- Animals being severely underweight or overweight ⚖️
- Animals with vitamin deficiencies 🥀
- Animals with missed injuries that are now untreatable 🚑
If you find a sick, injured, or orphaned animal, please contact a wildlife rescue 🐾📞. Whether it’s us or another rescue, we don’t mind—just make sure to get the appropriate advice and follow it carefully. 💡