Life in the wild is full of hazards and few wild animals reach old age. It has been estimated that the average lifespan of an urban fox is about 1 year, and less than 10% of this year’s sparrow fledglings will reach a year old.
Now and again we meet a wild casualty and our natural reaction as animal lovers is to save it. But think first. Certainly if there is obvious suffering – usually an injury – then this must be dealt with immediately, but sometimes wild animals die, or suffer, because of impulsive and thoughtless help.

ABANDONED YOUNG
An apparently abandoned baby deer or fox cub is a case in point. The mother of these species routinely leaves her young safely hidden while she searches for food. The young know to stay quietly in that place until she returns, no matter what happens. The mother will return, she will probably be watching you, waiting for you to leave. She will not return while you are around, and if there is a lot of human disturbance, she may abandon her young. The best thing you can do is leave everything as it was – do not touch the young animals, put your dog on a lead and go away. If you are worried, go back in 4 or 5 hours – by this time, the mother and young will be reunited and will have left.

BABY BIRDS
Fledgling birds are often found squatting on the ground, apparently unable to fly. However their parents are usually close by, often squawking and crying. This is the youngster’s first time out the nest, and everything is new and strange. Within a few hours the baby bird will be flying somewhat clumsily, and within a day or two it will be as skilful as its parents. But only if it is left alone. Shut the cat inside, chase the neighbour’s cat away, and do not touch the bird. The parents will continue to feed the baby every half hour or so throughout daylight hours, until it can fend for itself. Many of these so-called “rescued” birds die of starvation because well meaning people feed them bread or worms instead of their normal diet.

INJURED/ILL ANIMALS
There are times when help is essential. All vets will see and treat, or if necessary, euthanase, wild animals that are injured or seriously ill. Usually there is no charge for this during normal hours, and many don’t charge even out of hours.
Handling the animal and taking it to the surgery can be a problem, and sometimes dangerous. The SSPCA/RSPCA may be able to help – the number of their local branch is in the business phone directory. Remember foxes and badgers give nasty bites, as do rats and even hedgehogs. In general it is best to let someone experienced do the handling, but if you have to, wear heavy gloves, put the animal in a secure box eg cat basket (a shoe box is fine for smaller animals like hedgehogs, but must be secured shut) and take care. It is usually best to cover the animal so that they cannot see what is happening, and do not get stressed or struggle. Birds especially travel best in darkness. Remember that an animal which was unconscious when you put it in the car can wake up and become a hazard during the journey.
Cats often bring injured prey back to their owners as a tribute. Take it to the RSPCA or vet if possible – phone first if out-of-hours. However, sometimes this is not possible. Badly injured birds should be destroyed as soon as practical. There may be a neighbour, one time farmer or naturalist who can help.

NURSING
Nursing may be an important factor in restoring any wild creature to a state where it may be released back into the wild. Such nursing takes time – many hours per day, not just a few minutes before work in the morning. It also needs some skill. Either leave it to the experts or decide to spend even more time than they would, and do your research thoroughly before you start. There are organisations that devote themselves to the care of wild animals – the SSPCA/RSPCA will know of some in your area, or the RSPB may have a local ranger who can be contacted for queries about birds.
Any wild creature must be kept wild. It must retain its fear of humans, and its urge to flee from the unknown. Do not ever try to tame them. Hand reared magpies and crows are set free every year, and they cannot fend for themselves away from humans. Often they are attracted to the nearest school and an over-concerned parent worries that a child may be injured, so the bird is killed. In the same way, tamed foxes and badgers have great difficulty adapting to life in the wild – they cannot find food or shelter, and cannot defend themselves.

Wild animals live in a hard world. Be realistic – if it is obvious, or you are advised by someone who should know that saving a wild animal is not possible, then at least stop the suffering.

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