Highland Wildlife Rescue

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Highland Wildlife Rescue

We rehabilitate native wildlife species, in Brora, in the Scottish Highlands. Join us on our journey!
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17/11/2025

To do, or not to do, that is sometimes the question...

When Siobhan spotted an unusual bird in her Thurso garden she wasn't sure what to do, so she took a couple of pictures and videos and gave us a ring to see if she should do something.

We don't usually expect to see many Water Rails wandering around town gardens, but our advice takes lots of factors into account including visible injuries, whether the animal is mobile, fluffed up, shaking its head, how long it has been there and whether it has space to take off, or access to adjoining areas.

We also need to consider the stress that containing a wild animal causes, as well as handling, transport, amd whether there is help closer to that location. We work collaboratively with veterinary practices across the Highland region, as well as our fabulous frontline SSPCA friends and colleagues.

Always ring for a chat about the next steps if you're unsure -.wildlife rescue centres will be happy to hear from you 💚

16/11/2025

CLINT

All the way from Melvich, super skinny and with a nasty cough, poor CLINT has had to cope with isolation and limited food being offered because you cant just give a starving animal access to an all you can eat buffet.

He's so thin that giving him medication by injection isn't an option so he's on oral meds.

Meantime, he's loving some waxworms as additional treats while his big cage is cleaned, and becoming quite a chatty lad.

Corvids are sociable birds so he will need crow company soon, but not until he's stronger and his chest is clear.

Thank you Tan for his uplift and transport, he's doing you proud 💚

15/11/2025

A boy (Iain), a rabbit (Jerry) and a rubbish photo (by me, Jane).

This week I had the good fortune to be able to help a child and a wildlife patient at the same time, and both needed some very gentle care.

For the patient, attacked by a predator that was frightened off when the wee boy's mum's car pulled up, a chance to be helped.

For the boy, already in a world of pain because of a devastating family loss, a chance to change his heart's status from grieving to hope for a little while.

The boy cradled the injured rabbit with such care and love, and then had to hand it over to a stranger, trusting that I would tend to it with the same level of concern and empathy that he felt. That's a serious leap of faith in a world that had so recently been cruel and confusing for him.

Fortunately my animal care skills far outweigh my photography ones, so I've been able to give Iain's mum good progress reports and a truthful story to share with Iain that his actions saved a precious life.

What an absolute privilege 💚

14/11/2025

WOODIE

As much as this beautiful young lady loves the idea of heading home to Marleen's garden our overnight temperatures will be too cold for the next few nights, so she's grateful that her Hogspital carers continue to take such good care of her.

Colder November temperatures herald the start of pre-release weather watch season - a forecast week of mild overnight temperatures is needed for us to consider letting the precious pricklies go.

Don't worry though, studies show that releases in mild spells with shelter and food provisions are successful, and the alternative - extended periods of captivity - can cause additional and prolonged stress that isn't conducive to wellbeing.

This is a routine consideration process for hedgehog rescues heading into winter, and with 19 of our hedgehog patients ready or nearly ready to go, we're very focussed!

13/11/2025

Homecomings 💚

With temperatures due to dip we're keen to get as many patients that are ready for release, back to the wild, ahead of Winter so as soon as Liz and I finished the essential hedgehog and bird tasks, and Tan delivered us a poorly crow from Melvich I packed up some ready-to-go patients.

I even got to hand deliver hedgehogs back to their finders and some to lovely new homes, AND grab a coffee with super transporter, my friend Lisa who then took Oswald the Tawny back to his finder in Beauly for release.

The critical work we do here is supported by so many lovely, caring, compassionate people and I got another great reminder of that today.

📸 Prickles heading into a lovely hedgehog house, made by Sandy in peparation for this homecoming 💚

12/11/2025

PORSHA

This poor lass has had a rough couple of days before her determined rescuers stepped in.

She got shut in a shed, but we've no idea how long for.

With no exit, no food, no water and no bedding material there was only a discarded black sack for comfort, so she rolled herself up in the bag, under a low shelf, and settled down with no idea what her fate would be.

When a human appeared and raised the alarm with neighbours thinking there might be a rat in the dark corner to deal with, Heather and Scott sprung to action. Well...Heather got down on her belly and shimmied into the wee gap to grab whatever was lurking under there, and Scott was ready to drive them both here.

Lo and behold a very dehydrated, very hungry hedgehog! With phonecalls made for immediate advice it was agreed that without knowing PORSHA's level of dehydration, or if the stress of the situation had left her with any injuries or parasite flare-ups, she must come in for checks. Heather's good friend Denise at Blandford Hedgehog Group even recommended that Heather preserve the p**p PORSHA produced, so that we would have a fresh sample to test - and she has a heavy Lungworm burden, so treatment has been started now that she has stabilised.

At 527g she will be with us until she's completed her treatment and gained more weight ahead of Winter, and her return to Inveran 💚

11/11/2025

BILLY

Susan and Stephen were delighted that we managed to get young Billy the Buzzard transported nearly 100 miles back to his home site today once he was fully flight tested and declared ready for release.

So fit, in fact, that poor Susan almost missed his momentous departure. Volume off if you don't want to hear her frustration 🙈🤣

Our thanks to Mairi and Sarh for their help getting him home.

Stay safe BILLY, it was a pleasure to help you 💚

09/11/2025

OSWALD

After being found grounded and weak, OSWALD has been in Flight School, to test his strength, endurance and readiness to go home.

Timing is everything - he needs to have been in care long enough to heal and rebuild sufficient stamina to be released, but not so long that establishing his own territory is too big a battle as Winter draws near.

You can still see a dark red tinge to the rims of his eyes, indicating that he's a young bird; this year's owlet, in fact, so he will have to compete with other Tawnies near where he was found before he can settle in a place of his own.

We've spent some time checking he can take off, land, manoeuvre, and avoid obstacles so that I can be confident he's ready to go. Freedom is very, very close 🦉💚

07/11/2025

REBECCA

Little hoglets are up against it now as the temperatures start to drop and their mums realise it's time to prep for hibernation.

Tiddlers....the size of a grapefruit or smaller.....will definitely be in trouble if mum leaves them to fend for themselves, and any seen during the short daylight hours will certainly be in need of help.

Wee REBECCA was seen scavenging bird seed and peanuts under feeders in the garden of a kind lady who looks out for all of the wildlife around her. Those food sources are unsuitable and potentially hazardous for hedgehogs. Rachel was concerned when she then saw her huddled against a wall so she uplifted and contained her and took to a local Facebook group to seek help.

As news of the work we do spreads, lovely supporters tag us for help, and the magic happens! The journey from Grantown to Brora was seamlessly covered by a friend of Nicola's to Inverness, then Kevin to Tain, then Jackie to here - our Transport Volunteer Group is EXCEPTIONAL 💚

06/11/2025

SUNNY

We don't admit many amphibians into care and patients like this one are less likely to come in once we get to November, the start of the colder months when hibernation calls.

This morning Ellen found this cold, lifeless Palmate Newt on a path in her garden so she carefully checked for signs of life before containment and immediate transport.

They're quite a common beasties across the UK but a first for us as a patient admission. Ash was on hand to assist witn ID, and Paul confirmed that the little one is definitely a Palmate Newt - thanks chaps 💚

At 8.5cm long and with beautiful markings, some warmth definitely made a difference.

Have you seen these where you are?

05/11/2025

ANNETTE

A late evening admission last night for this poor adult girl who tried her paws at badminton in a disused net, in a garden.

The more she struggled the tighter the net twisted until she was nearly strangled and needed an urgent rescue.

Despite being on crutches, finder Jodie rallied some help, partially removed the netting, and arranged a lift here from Invergordon.

On arrival ANNETTE was carefully and thoroughly disentangled before being fully checked for injuries that are thankfully only minor but she was also completely exhausted and dehydrated so needed care.

If you find entangled wildlife always phone a rescue for advice and help. Trying to sort the issue yourself is difficult, and can sometimes, unfortunately, make matters worse. Constriction injuries need careful assessment and treatment.

And please, put nets away - they can be a serious hazard 💚

04/11/2025

As we head towards Winter we still have 29 hoglets in care with today's weigh-ins ranging from 200g to very nearly ready for release.

They all came in as youngsters some tiddly small, some sick some injured. We've dealt with internal and external parasites, starvation, dehydration, dog bites, car impact injuries, drain water, cattlegrid sludge and glow in the dark poo.

Thankfully apart from one poorly girl, and some others finishing treatments everyone is looking good.

It's too mild yet for their wild cousins to be hibernating and some youngsters won't be nearly big enough yet for hunkering down so please continue to put food out as well as shallow dishes of fresh water.

Meaty cat food in jelly, and poultry flavoured kitten biscuits are best. If you're at all worried about a hedgehog you see out and about feel free to contact us on 07957 584817 or find your nearest rescue via www.helpwidlife.co.uk 💚

Address

146 Ladies Loch
Brora
KW96NG

Telephone

+447957584817

Website

https://www.peoplesfundraising.com/donation/highland-wildlife-rescue

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