Total of 200,000 calls about wildlife in 2018 - 33,500 in the South East alone.
The RSPCA is preparing for its busiest month of the year as it reveals that calls about wildlife from people in the South East of England peaked at more than 5,000 last June.
The RSPCA received more than 204,9741 calls about wildlife in 2018 across England and Wales last year; with 33,540 of those from the South East alone.
Nearly half (93,097) of all the calls were received in the peak summer months May (28,211 calls), June (34,651) and July (30,235), the height of the breeding season for many wild animals.
The top five species the calls related to were pigeons (36,629 calls), red foxes (24,352 calls), gulls undefined (23,467 calls), hedgehogs (10,642 calls) and deer (9152).
The RSPCA’s Scientific Officer Evie Button says: “May, June and July are our busiest months for wildlife, so our officers, centre staff and volunteers are flat out at this time of year.
“Caring for young animals at our wildlife centres can be a round-the-clock job. Some of the most vulnerable animals need to be hand-fed every few hours, even through the night.
“From newborn fox cubs which have lost their mother, to injured blackbirds or tiny orphaned ‘hoglets’, the RSPCA is very busy caring for and rehabilitating animals so they can hopefully be re-introduced to the wild.”
RSPCA officers collected 59,428 wild animals in 2018, peaking in June and July with 9,688 and 10,388 collections respectively.
As well as the most common of Britain’s wildlife, the RSPCA was contacted last year about more unusual or rare animals including a Natterer’s bat, a natterjack toad and a hen harrier.
The animal charity has four dedicated wildlife centres in Somerset (West Hatch), Cheshire (Stapeley Grange), Norfolk (East Winch) and East Sussex (Mallydams Wood). Wild animals are also treated at the animal charity’s animal hospitals in London (Putney and Finsbury Park). Birmingham and Manchester, then cared for at specialist facilities, either at the RSPCA’s own centres and branches or working in partnership with other wildlife rehabilitation organisations.
To help the work of the RSPCA donate here.
To help wildlife in the garden this summer you can:
- Put out fresh, clean water for drinking and bathing,
- Take care using lawn-mowers or strimmers and keeping pesticides out of reach of animals.
- Tidy away unused sports and garden netting to prevent animals to tangled
For more information about what to do if you find a wild animal in need of help, please visit the RSPCA website
To report concerns about an animal, please call the RSPCA 24-hour hotline on 0300 1234 999.
