Found an animal that might need help?
Practical first steps for injured or young wildlife in Cornwall: stay safe, get expert advice and find the right rescue, vet or specialist helpline.
If an animal is badly injured, collapsed, trapped or has been caught by a cat or dog, seek expert help promptly. Don’t wait for a reply from our group.
Pause and keep everyone safe
Keep your distance, move pets and children away, and observe quietly. Don’t enter traffic, climb down cliffs or approach a large or frightened animal. Note the exact location.
Call before you move the animal
Contact a nearby vet or find a wildlife rescue. Describe the species, visible injuries, behaviour and location. Ask whether they can accept the animal and how to transport it safely. If one rescue cannot help, try another or ask a vet for advice.
Only contain it if it’s safe and appropriate
For a small animal, follow the rescuer’s instructions. If advised to contain it, use a secure ventilated box lined with a towel, keeping handling to a minimum. Large mammals, bats, birds of prey and marine animals need specialist guidance.
Keep it quiet while arranging care
Keep a contained casualty in a quiet, dark, dry place away from pets. Don’t give food, water or medicine unless a vet or rescuer tells you to. Never force liquid into its mouth. Avoid repeated checks and handling.
Based on RSPCA injured wildlife advice and HelpWildlife’s short-term care guidance. Follow the professional’s instructions for the individual animal.
Different animals need different help.
A young bird on the ground
A fully feathered fledgling may be learning to fly, with its parents nearby. If it is uninjured and safe, leave it and keep pets away. Watch from a distance.
A bird with few or no feathers, visible injuries, or one caught by a cat needs advice promptly. Don’t assume a quiet bird is an orphan. Avoid handling sick or dead birds because of disease risks, including bird flu.
Read the RSPCA baby bird guideA hedgehog
A hedgehog that is injured, collapsed, trapped or covered in fly eggs needs help. A daytime sighting alone needs context: describe what it is doing to a rescue rather than assuming every hedgehog seen in daylight is orphaned or ill.
Ask a wildlife rescue for species-specific advice. Don’t give milk or try to treat injuries yourself.
Find a wildlife rescue near youA fox, badger or deer
Stay back. Don’t try to pick up, restrain or transport a large wild mammal. Give a rescue or the RSPCA the location and a description of its condition. If a road incident creates immediate danger, contact police.
A young animal alone is not necessarily abandoned. Observe from a distance and get advice before intervening.
RSPCA advice by speciesA grounded or injured bat
Never touch a bat with bare hands. Keep pets away and contact the National Bat Helpline on 0345 1300 228. Check its website for opening hours and out-of-hours instructions.
Follow the Bat Conservation Trust’s advice on safe containment. If you’ve been bitten or scratched, seek medical advice promptly.
A seal, dolphin or whale
Keep people and dogs well away. A resting seal does not always need rescue. If it appears injured, entangled or in difficulty, call British Divers Marine Life Rescue on 01825 765546 and follow their instructions.
Don’t push an animal back into the sea, feed it or attempt to remove entanglement. Report its exact position and observe from a distance.
An animal caught by a cat or dog
Get help from a vet or wildlife rescue promptly, even if you cannot see a wound. Tell them the animal has been in a cat’s or dog’s mouth. Don’t release it simply because it becomes more active.
HelpWildlife: when and how to seek helpA trap, snare or suspected poisoning
Don’t touch suspicious bait, a carcass or a trap. Keep people and pets away and report it to police. If an animal is alive, also seek rescue advice; trying to release it yourself may cause further harm.
How to report suspected wildlife crimeWhat to tell the person you call
- The animal’s species, if you know it, and what you can see.
- The exact location: a map pin or grid reference, nearby landmarks and road name. A what3words reference can help, but give other location details too.
- Whether there are immediate hazards, such as traffic, water or a loose dog.
- Whether you can safely stay nearby or transport a small contained animal if asked.
Keep the discovery location: rescuers may need it when planning a release. Don’t post exact nest, den or roost locations publicly.
Sources checked 7 October 2026. Contact details, services and legal developments can change; follow the linked organisations for current information.