London Wildcare Rescue Team

Based at our Beddington Park Wildlife Hospital, our team
of trained rescue personnel are on 24 hour stand-by to
respond to incidents involving larger or more dangerous
species.

Our principal rescue work involves waterfowl (swans,
geese, ducks, herons etc) and our teams cover the
London Boroughs of Sutton, Merton, Croydon, Bromley,
Wandsworth, Kingston and Richmond. We also provide
an emergency response to major
incidents such as oil spills or
disease outbreaks along the length
of the tidal Thames, in partnership
with the Maritime Volunteer Service
(MVS) and the Port of London
Authority. Depending upon
available resources, our waterfowl
rescue service may extend into
other London or Surrey Boroughs,
especially if a major incident is
reported. Our waterfowl service
operates during daylight hours,
365 days a year.

We also operate a 24 hour
response service for foxes, badgers
and deer in our three ‘home’ boroughs of Sutton, Merton and Croydon, and we routinely admit large numbers of fox cubs into care every year. All of our rescuers are trained to safely handle and contain adult foxes and cubs** and a smaller team are fully skilled and equipped to attend badgers and deer, which can be extremely dangerous and which should not be approached by members of the public.

Physical resources for our rescue work include four marked vehicles, each equipped for different types of work, a field control/hospital trailer, one rigid and three inflatable boats together with access, via MVS, to fast sea going vessels. We have various items of specialised kit including a fibre-optic search camera for looking down drains, under sheds etc and permanent loan of a Green Goddess Fire Engine which can transport large volumes of clean water and rescue equipment to any incident.

Although our resources are intended primarily for wildlife casualties, we are part of a planned response to assist domestic animals in the event of a major disaster, such as flooding, affecting homes and lives in London. We have also been called upon by the fire service to provide mass casualty evacuation from a house fire involving a large number of cats and have assisted various local authorities with stray and dangerous dogs causing a hazard to themselves and the public.

Small Animal Collections
Our hospital was established as a community resource where members of the public could bring small birds and mammals (hedgehogs, squirrels etc) for care and treatment. We are not able to offer a free collection service for these sort of casualties and our resources for collections, which are chargeable, are strictly limited.

If you genuinely cannot get a small patient to us, our collection service operates in our three ‘home’ boroughs of Sutton, Merton & Croydon between 9am and 7.30pm and costs £5 per call-out. These costs help fund this aspect of our work and DO NOT represent a contribution towards the care and treatment of the animal you are handing in. Additional donations are, therefore, much appreciated.

** NB: Never interfere with a fox or badger cub or a fawn (baby deer) without calling us for advice unless it is in clear and immediate danger. Many young animals are left alone by their parents for long periods of time and every year well meaning members of the public pick up these animals causing them to be lost to their parents for no good reason

Two of our various marked rescue vehicles - we are well equipped for different types of work and situations