11
(a nestling), place it in a warm, dark box
with breathing holes, and take it to the
nearest wildlife centre. Never try and
place the young bird back in the nest
as this may disturb the other young
birds in the nest (and may be illegal).
Forgotten fawn
Young deer are often left on their own
for long periods of time, so if you fi nd
a fawn that seems to be orphaned,
don't worry, it's probably just waiting
for its mother to return.
If you come across the fawn while
out walking, move away (keep dogs
on their leads) and don't touch the
young deer as this could lead to
the mother abandoning it.
Deer are very tough in the
wild but are extremely
diffi cult to rehabilitate,
this should only be
attempted by experts.
Cute cubs?
When fox cubs fi rst appear
above ground from the
safety of their den, they look
like young puppies - all cute
and friendly. But that's where
you're wrong! These are wild
animals, and very capable of
looking after themselves.
If you do see a fox cub that seems
to be abandoned, the chances are its
parents or a relative is watching it
closely and you picking it up would
be extremely harmful. These cubs are
left alone above ground to learn, so a
human picking them up and taking
them to a wildlife centre does much
more harm than good. You can
always leave a supply of dog food and
water nearby and check on the cub after
24 hours.
Hapless hoglets
Hedgehogs are nocturnal (most active at
night), so if you fi nd a young hedgehog
out during the day, it might be sick or in
trouble, so you should ring the RSPCA.
Young orphaned hedgehogs need
specialist care and we recommend
passing them to an experienced
wildlife rehabilitator.
www.animalaction.co.uk
If you are still concerned
about a wild animal that you
think may have been abandoned,
orphaned or is sick or injured,
ring the RSPCA's 24-hour cruelty
and advice line on:
0300 1234 999.
FOR MORE ADVICE ON WHAT TO DO IF
YOU SEE A YOUNG ANIMAL YOU THINK
MAY BE ORPHANED, VISIT: WWW.
rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/
WILDLIFE/ORPHANEDANIMALS