RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife

30/08/2024

27/08/2024

‘Hey guys.. we’ve just had our pool cleaned let’s go and throw all the stones back in the lady cleared out and p**p on the edges so it looks like it was never cleaned’… 🤣🤦🏻‍♀️

If Gulls could talk we are pretty sure this would be 1 of many conversations they would have!

It has been absolutely wonderful to be able to admit Gull chicks for the first time in a number of years. We almost forgot how cheeky they were! ❤️

21/08/2024

Do you have time to spare at the weekend, just one day per month?
Would you like to meet new friends and feel part of a valued team?

RSPCA West Hatch are hosting monthly Conservation and Grounds Maintenance Volunteering Team Days on the first Saturday of every month from 10am to 3pm. Our next event will be held on Saturday 7th September. The aim of the group is to enhance the appearance and the habitat value of our 22 acre site, whilst having an enjoyable time with like minded people.

You do not have to be an experienced gardener, or a conservationist, we are just looking for keen individuals who are interested in picking up a tool and giving it a go?

https://volunteer.rspca.org.uk/opportunities/gardener-conservation-grounds-maintenance-days-monthly-event-2024-04-30

WARNING! This volunteering role will boost your happiness!

18/08/2024

This orphaned hoglet came in at a tiny 30g, only a day or two old, with the umbilical cord still attached. Sadly his siblings died shortly after arrival, however with the dedication and care of one of our amazing wildlife assistants, this one pulled through. Three weeks later, he is now a healthy 200g and self feeding, very well might we add! He will now stay the the centre until he reaches release weight which with an appetite like his, shouldn’t be long 🤗

17/08/2024

It appears our phone lines are down! Please bear with us while we try and fix this!

If you have a casualty we are still here accepting admissions 8am - 8.30pm.

If you have non urgent query, please contact [email protected]

11/08/2024

Yesterday the last of our swift chicks was released!

These remarkable birds spend around 3-4 years continuously flying before they reach sexual maturity and land to nest - this means that they eat, mate and even sleep on the wing!

Sadly, swifts are in decline, largely due to a loss of nest sites and the declining insect population, meaning an increasing amount of swifts are having to undergo rehabilitation.

What can you do to help?
Avoid using chemicals and pesticides in the garden, buy organic where possible, buy a swift box for your house and support your local swift rehabber 😊

09/08/2024

Our Little Owl observing, eagerly awaiting its dinner!

*Video taken during cleaning and feeding*

08/08/2024

We are desperately low on shredded paper again!

If anyone is able to get some to us we would be really grateful 😊

***** Shredded paper appeal*****

We currently have a number of Hedgehogs in our care and we are running low on Shredded paper. We use the shredded paper as bedding for the hedgehogs and also to keep them warm. Any donations of shredded paper will be greatefully recieived. Donations can be delivered to the wildlife centre between 0800 and 2100 Monday - Sunday.

✅ Long cut shredding
✅Free of staples and debris
❌Cross cut
❌Envelopes
❌Magazines
❌Newspaper

Thank you from the Hedgehogs and staff at West Hatch

07/08/2024

Our young oystercatcher is enjoying her (very) little estuary!

We’ve used a mixture of sand and soil to mimic the silty sand of estuaries and beaches at low tide, and buried food items to allow her to practice feeding on marine worms and shellfish found below the sand. These skills are vital for her success upon release where she will have to hunt for herself in a much larger area (and where there aren’t any wildlife assistants to bury food for her!)

She has a habit of finding buried food and then washing the sand off in the water. Quite good table manners as far as birds are concerned!

06/08/2024

This is a pied wagtail fledgling, during feed time. They are given the informal name of 'carpark birds' as they are often seen foraging for insects and bits of dropped food in car parks and residential areas. The young birds look very different from thier adult counterparts, who are black with a white face and white bars on their wings. However, their famous tail wagging behaviour gives them away!

06/08/2024

Our weasels got a home makeover this week!

Changing things in their enclosures is great enrichment for these inquisitive animals, and gives them opportunities to exhibit some interesting behaviours.

We’ve added some new logs to climb and some tubes and tunnels to mimic the rodent burrows they hunt in. We’ve also given them some dig boxes and planted grasses and dandelions for some new scents and environments to explore.

This environmental enrichment will help them to hone their skills in climbing, navigating burrows and exploring unfamiliar terrain. Soon they will be old enough to release and be able to put these new skills to work!

04/08/2024

Patient sightings!

Recently Chevre, Gnome and Brie the seals were spotted by the The Seal Project during one of their surveys. These seals were released earlier in the year in April, not all together but have since found their way to each other. As you can see they look fit and healthy, enjoying some afternoon sun :)

02/08/2024

This little beauty is a fledgling skylark. This is an unusual patient for us and is only the fifth we've ever had in!

Most people will have heard their unmistakable call which can often be heard high in the sky above farmland, moorland, grassland and salt marshes. These are ground nesting birds and can have up to four broods a year if the conditions are right. However, it is thought that the intensification of farming has limited their breeding success and they are now a red listed species within the UK.

This one is spending some time in care while it recovers from some injuries after being trapped in a warehouse. It is already self feeding so all being well it will be transferred to a flight aviary where it can practice it flight before being released back to the wild.

31/07/2024

Some good news on the ban of glue traps! Glue traps are often used as methods of ‘pest control’ however, they are cruel, indiscriminate and cause suffering to whatever unfortunate animals become stuck to them 😢

The Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022 officially comes into effect today, making it illegal to use glue traps in England except under license 🙌

These inhumane traps are so adhesive that any animals trapped on them are unable to free themselves, causing prolonged and unnecessary suffering.

Often used for animals people deem 'pests', they also impact non-target species including wildlife and beloved pets like Basil.

The use of glue traps has been restricted in Wales since 2023, so we warmly welcome this ban which will help to make England a safer place for every kind.

26/07/2024

We want to say a massive WELL DONE and THANK YOU to our wonderful Wildlife Assistant Harry!

Harry has raised £925 entering the 100km Jurassic Coast Ultra Challenge Hike and £406.09 organising a local raffle with some great prizes! A total of £1,331.95 raised for the centre which is just amazing!

Harry puts so much hard work into all that he does and is always striving to raise money for the centre in creative ways.

We are very lucky to have you at West Hatch. Thank you for all that you do!!! 👏🏻⭐️😁

26/07/2024

Often when seal pups arrive in our care they have been sick or orphaned for a little while, meaning they are underweight and dehydrated. This was the case for little Raclette, who was our smallest seal of season. She arrived as a post-moult, weighing a tiny 13kg! She was so poorly that when we tried to stabilise her with fluids and fish soup, she couldn’t keep them down, causing her to drop even more weight. It was very touch and go at times and very hard for the team to see her in such a poor state 😔 However, this is a happy story and Raclette made an amazing recovery! Within a few days of care her medication started to kick in, helping her little body to fight off the infection. Once she was fit enough, we also gave her a wormer to help her expel the worms that her stomach was full of! From then on she only improved. She started eating for herself and then eventually gained 20kg before her release in March this year 😊

25/07/2024

These three juvenile shelducks came into us at only a few days old. They had a lucky escape when they dodged a car on a country lane. Very sadly their mum was not so lucky 😔 A couple, who witnesssed the tragic event, managed to scoop up the now frantic ducklings and bring them into our care. They have been with us a for a number of weeks while they grow and produce their flight feathers. Here you can see them just after release, enjoying their new coastal habitat 😊

Do you know what shelducks eat? The clue is in the name! They are marine ducks and spend most of their time around estuaries, foraging for molluscs and shellfish!

19/07/2024

This year we have cared for almost 100 gulls! This is ranging from very tiny chicks to adults and different species such as a black headed gull.

Enjoy these pictures by Jacobs Photography of our beautiful chicks enjoying their outside enclosure 😄

19/07/2024

We receive many reports about the welfare of animals over the summer months, but we can all do our bit to help our furry, feathered and scaly friends when the weather is warm 🌞

Find out who to contact if you see an animal in distress during a spell of warm weather: https://bit.ly/3W98xTp

12/07/2024

Yesterday we released our smallest mammal in care - a short-tailed field vole!

She arrived after being picked up by a dog and although unharmed, she was of an age where she would still be dependent on mum so was hand reared by a member of staff.

A few weeks later, here she is, going back to the wild 😌

Video by Emma Jacobs Photography

11/07/2024

This young Herring Gull has had a traumatic few days after falling down the chimney of a house!😦

The member of public, once they had figured out where the noise was coming from, alerted the fire service as the fire place had been blocked up and the only way to access the chimney was from the roof! Unfortunately, they were unable to retrieve the chick because he was too far down. Now with the situation becoming more and more desperate as time went on, a builder was called in to knock down the wall and the chick was retrieved 🙌🏼

Surprisingly the chick sustained no injuries and was fairly bright on admission. However, as expected, had lost a lot of weight and was desperate for food and water. It had a big drink and quickly gobbled up lots of sprats as soon as it was put in its pen!

We would like to thank the members of public, the Devon fire service and the builder for doing all they could to help this bird in a stressful, time sensitive situation 👏🏼

08/07/2024

These three barn swallow nestlings were found under their broken nest. Sadly one of their siblings was already deceased, however, the remaining chicks are doing really well and getting bigger and stronger everyday.

Once their feathers are fully through, we will allow them to fly freely so that they can develop their flight fitness, ready for their long migration when they are eventually released 😊

04/07/2024

Our group of young Tawny Owls are looking very grown up now! All of them have been with us in rehabilitation since they were nestlings. We want to share some lovely photos taken by Emma Jacobs Photography.

We look forward to sharing their release footage later on in the summer! 😊🦉

04/07/2024

This week is swift awareness week!

These remarkable birds spend around four years continuously flying, before reaching sexual maturity at which point they finally land to nest. This means eating, mating and even sleeping on the wing! Sadly, our swifts are in decline, largely due to loss of nest sites and the declining insect population.

What can you do to help?
Avoid using chemicals and pesticides in the garden, buy organic where possible, buy a swift box for your house and support your local swift rehabber 😊

‼️ A healthy swift can take off from the ground, so if you find one grounded, there is something wrong. Please do not attempt to feed it or re release it, as this can cause further damage. Swifts require specialist care so please contact an experienced rehabber or rescue for advice as soon as possible‼️

27/06/2024

We are caring for many young birds of prey at the moment. Can you guess the different species in these three pictures?😊

22/06/2024

It's that time of year again when these grey and spotty youngsters are a common sight in the UK. Gulls are great parents and will feed and protect their chick wherever they are, on the roof top or on the ground. You may not always see the parents feed the chicks as they will often regurgitate food onto the floor for the chick to eat for itself. As long as the parents are around, the chick is not in immediate danger and is healthy and uninjured, there is often no reason to intervene.

Many healthy gull chicks are picked up unnecessarily without this knowledge and end up in care for many weeks to months. Spaces for gull patients in rescue centres are often limited, so we need to ensure those spaces are saved for those chicks who are truly orphaned or sick or injured.

If there is a gull chick you have concerns about, please call us before intervening, we are always happy to advise 🙂 0300 123 0721.

13/06/2024

*photo taken during health check*

Weasels are excellent hunters and although small, they are super quick and can take down prey much bigger than themselves. In the wild, the kits will stay with their mum until around 12 weeks when they become independent and disperse. So for this young male, who was estimated to be 2-3 weeks old on arrival, something must have happened for him to be separated from mum. He is self feeding very well so we will now be as hands off as possible, while providing food daily until he is bigger and old enough to be soft released back into the wild 😊

10/06/2024

Thank you to this amazing Customer Service Team from Somerset Council who attended our centre last week and totally transformed some of our communal seating areas and the main car park. They were a fabulous team who worked tirelessly and with huge passion. Staff, volunteers and visitors have all commented on how lovely the areas look now. Thank you very much, we hope to see you again.

06/06/2024

To those who may be wondering how Cassandra, one of our wildlife assistant volunteers, got on with the Bristol half marathon...here she is, looking very happy after completing the epic challenge! Cassandra raised £785 for the Wildlife Centre, so we wish to say a huge thanks to her for her time and efforts, and also congratulations on this fabulous achievement. See you at the centre soon.

05/06/2024

Animal enquiries!
We are currently caring for many species in the centre. Please bear with us while we answer the many enquiries we receive everyday.

We want to say a massive thank you to all that take the time to bring us wildlife in need. We are very lucky to have such a large number of caring and compassionate people who want to help our British Wildlife! ❤️🦊🦔🦉🐰🐭🦆🦫🦭🐦‍⬛