Hundreds of thousands of wild birds and animals are killed and injured on Britain’s roads every year. The really sad thing is that so many are left to die a slow death as they are repeatedly run over when many could be saved with proper help.
Our articles often talk about whether or not you should intervene – in the case of an animal hit by a car, you should always contact a rescue to at least get the victim checked over.
Small animals should be contained and taken to a rescue ASAP. Larger animals such as foxes, badgers, swans and deer are potentially dangerous when scared or injured and require expert handling. Please do not attempt to capture or contain them. If a large animal is in the road, you may wish to call the police, as they will sometimes attend in this scenario to ease disruption and the safety risk to traffic. If the animal leaves the scene, try to see where it goes so you can direct the rescue to them when they arrive.
The most important thing you can do here (apart from calling a rescuer urgently), is minimise the casualty’s stress. If the casualty is not moving and it is safe to do so you can approach carefully and put a coat or blanket over its head. This will help to stop the casualty becoming too stressed. Some animals, especially deer, in these situations will freeze and lay still, making no attempt to get away. This does not mean they are tame – please keep your distance and never try to ‘comfort’ them; you will only be making them more stressed.
Finding Help #
You’ll find detailed advice on next steps at https://helpwildlife.co.uk/advice/practical-advice-for-finders/
If you are unsure whether to intervene or you have difficulty finding a rescue who can help, you can contact us via helpwildlife.co.uk/helpdesk and our volunteers will give you advice and support.
