HELP SAVE WILDLIFE

Aim

Your support could help save precious wildlife, restore nature and raise awareness about habitat protection

ABOUT BRENT LODGE WILDLIFE HOSPITAL

For over 50 years, Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital has been a trusted and respected provider of expert care and specialist knowledge for sick, injured and orphaned wild animals. Many of the patients admitted to us arrive as a direct - or sometimes indirect - result of human impact. Whether through habitat loss, climate change, pollution or nest interference, the effects of human activity are often reflected in the casualties we treat. 

We support local veterinary practices, RSPCA inspectors, Wildlife Police Officers, and members of the public by treating, and rehabilitating wildlife casualties, with the aim of releasing healthy animals back into their natural habitats. 

Our work focuses on wildlife rehabilitation, conservation, education, and community engagement to restore the balance and encourage the protection of the natural world.

WHAT IS THE NEED FOR OUR WORK

The recently published State of Nature Report highlights that the UK remains one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Wildlife is under increasing pressure - with climate change in particular affecting populations year in year out. 

Hotter summers, milder winters, and more extreme weather events are becoming more common. These changes damage habitats, disrupt food supplies, and alter long-established wildlife behaviours, leading to both increased casualties and long-term population declines.

Hedgehogs are especially affected. UK hedgehog populations have declined by, with fewer than 1 million remaining nationwide from 30 million in the 1970s. Warmer winters can cause hedgehogs to wake from hibernation too early, burning vital fat reserves when food is scarce, while hotter, drier summers reduce insect prey and harden soils, making foraging difficult. This has led to hedgehogs being too small or sick to survive hibernation, increasing the number of hedgehogs needing specialist care.

Birds are also strongly impacted. Some birds, like swifts and swallows, rely on weather patterns to navigate their migration. Warmer temperatures are shifting migration patterns, with many species arriving earlier in spring or shortening their journeys. Earlier 'spring-like' weather also creates food mismatches, where insects peak before chicks hatch, reducing survival rates. Overall, wild bird populations in England have fallen by around 19% since 1970, with garden and farmland species declining most steeply resulting in more species being classified as Red on the Conservation Concern List of Threatened Species.

HELP US MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Each year, we treat an average of 3,000 British wildlife casualties across more than 120 species. Every patient has unique and often costly needs. Hedgehogs may require weeks or even months of specialist diets and intensive care, while baby birds can demand 1-1 care and require feeding every 15 minutes. Many animals can also arrive with complex veterinary needs. 

During the spring/summer months we can treat over 1,500 wild animal casualties, many affected by seasonal challenges. Demand rises sharply, with a 50% increase in weekly patients, making additional funding vital.

You support could help us respond to growing demand for wildlife casualty care and give hundreds of at risk wild animals impacted by these environmental and seasonal challenges, a second chance in their natural habitats. We can actively contribute to research, biodiversity reports, and wider conservation initiatives to hundreds of declining species through our patient tagging initiative. This data supports climate action initiatives, species monitoring, and wider habitat protection, strengthening long-term conservation efforts.

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

Beyond direct casualty care, our Respect and Protect Education Outreach Programme helps inspire a deeper understanding and respect for British wildlife within the local community. Through engaging talks, school visits, and hands-on outdoor learning experiences, we inspire people of all ages about conservation, and how to coexist responsibly with the natural world. By sharing real-life stories from the wildlife hospital and practical ways to help wildlife, the programme encourages access to nature and long-term environmental stewardship of green spaces.

Without Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital, many wild animal casualties found across our area would be left without access to specialist care, resulting in unnecessary suffering and loss. Concerned members of the public would have limited options for advice and support, and vital conservation, monitoring, and education work would be lost. This would leave a significant gap in local wildlife protection resulting in a decrease in wider British wildlife populations.

CASE STUDY

We care for over 100 gulls and water birds each year, successfully releasing many back into the wild. This juvenile herring gull, classified as red-listed, arrived as a chick washed up on our local beach and following recovery he was later released back onto our local coastline. Since then, he has been sighted locally but also as far away as Belgium. Before release, he and many other rehabilitated birds were fitted with lightweight, safe ID rings. 

With herring gull populations in serious decline, these tags allow researchers to track movements and support vital conservation work. Sightings from rehabilitated birds contribute to biodiversity monitoring and wider conservation efforts. It is rewarding to know that we can make a difference to individual animals and that birds released from our care are doing well and thriving. We actively encourage members of the public to report sightings on our REHAB WEBSITE.

DID YOU KNOW: Herring gulls are heavily impacted by climate change, experiencing significant population declines due to reduced food availability, habitat loss, and increased disease prevalence. In the UK, coastal populations have dropped by over 50% since the late 1960s, leading to them being red-listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

There are three simple ways to get involved and support our project:

1. Make a donation

Every donation we receive could be matched by Aviva making a meaningful difference to our work and wildlife in need. Your support is giving them a second chance at life in the wild.

£25 could help feed a nest of orphaned birds

£30 could provide veterinary medicine

£40 could help provide incubator warmth to a young hoglet

2. Spread the word

Share our project with friends, family and your wider network. The more people we reach, the more likely we are to raise much needed vital funds.

3. If you are local to West Sussex, book an outreach talk for your school or community group to see how you can make meaningful support to nature. Contact [email protected] for details.

THANK YOU!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made