The aim is always to return the casualties that are brought to me, back to the wild. Sadly, this is not always possible, and many may be too badly injured or sick. It is important to be aware that in these cases euthanasia may be the only option. In the past I have been fortunate to work closely with the late Gay Christie of Scotland’s largest independent wildlife hospital, Hessilhead, and her husband Andy whose knowledge is unsurpassed, as well as the Scottish SPCA, and more recently exotics vet, Romain Pizzi who has an encyclopaedic knowledge and incredible skills for treating wildlife. Wildlife rehabilitation is a continual learning process: there are always new ways to improve, and to give each individual creature the best possible chance.
Tawny owls are frequent patients. They are a species that has learned to live close to humans and, therefore, often come to grief. During the nesting season they become trapped in chimneys and wood-burning stovepipes; others are hit by cars or entangled in netting. One young owl passed through almost every stage of a pea-canning factory yet survived to make a full recovery. Another travelled from Norwich to Edinburgh embedded in the front grille of a large lorry. Remarkably, it too overcame its ordeal.
Raptors are brought in, along with red squirrels, hedgehogs, ducklings, and other fledglings during the breeding season. I specialise in hand-rearing red squirrel kits and have reared one litter of three from just 3-4 days old and luckily succeeded in returning them to the wild. Feeding tiny naked squirrels every couple of hours for the first few weeks means very little sleep. Release, however, is always the goal. Most of my hand-reared squirrels are released at Cluny House Gardens, near Aberfeldy for this is squirrel paradise and is a safe haven where food is always available for them
Domestic cats and dogs cause significant problems for wildlife. Fitting cats with bells on elasticated collars can make a real difference in reducing casualties among birds and squirrels. Sadly, we still see numerous injuries and deaths caused by both cats and dogs.
Our wildlife is increasingly under pressure, with most associated problems caused by human activity, either directly or indirectly. By the time some casualties are found, they may be too weak or too badly injured to survive. Yet successes outweigh the disappointments. There is no more powerful moment than watching a wild animal or bird return to its natural environment.
