Other useful numbers
- Pets, strays or animal cruelty — RSPCA0300 1234 999
- Hedgehogs — BHPS01584 890801
- Bats — Bat Conservation Trust0345 1300 228
- Suspected bird flu — Defra03459 33 55 77
Pleasley Vale, Mansfield · Registered charity 1186301
A second chance for injured wildlife.
We rescue, treat and release injured, orphaned and poorly native wildlife from across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. We're a small family-run charity, powered by volunteers and local support.
75%of animals released back to the wild in 2024–25
+30%more admissions than the year before
99 yrslease secured for our Pleasley Vale home
Emergency first aid
Found an injured or orphaned animal?
Follow these steps to keep the animal and yourself safe while you get help. Then choose the animal below for advice about that species.
Please phone before you travel.
We're a small team with limited space. A quick call means we can check we can take the animal and tell you what to do next.
Keep yourself safe
Never handle a deer, badger, fox, swan, bird of prey or bat with bare hands. Phone for advice instead.
Warm, dark, quiet
If it's safe to lift, put it in a ventilated cardboard box lined with a towel. Keep it away from pets, children and noise.
No food or water
The wrong food can kill, and water can get into the lungs. Wait for a rescuer's advice before offering anything.
Phone before travelling
Check we can take this species today. We often can't collect, so we may ask you to bring it in.
Animal-by-animal advice
What have you found?
Pick the closest match for quick advice while you contact a rescue.
Hedgehog
Out in daylight usually means trouble.
Hedgehogs are nocturnal. One that's out during the day, wobbly, lying in the open or surrounded by flies almost always needs help.
Do
- Pick it up with thick gloves or a towel
- Put it in a high-sided box with a towel to hide under
- Keep it somewhere warm, dark and quiet
Don’t
- Give cow’s milk, bread or mealworms — they can cause fatal illness
- Leave it outside in the open
Baby bird
Look before you lift — it may not need rescuing.
Fully feathered and hopping about? That's a fledgling. It's normal for them to spend a few days on the ground while their parents keep feeding them nearby. Watch from a distance for an hour or two.
Few or no feathers, or eyes still closed? That's a nestling, and it can't survive out of the nest. If you can see the nest and reach it safely, put the bird back. If not, phone us.
Do
- Keep cats and dogs indoors while you watch
- Move a fledgling into a nearby bush if it's in danger
- Phone if it's injured or caught by a cat
Don’t
- Take a healthy fledgling away from its parents
- Give food, water or bread
Who to call
Mansfield Wildlife Rescue01623 810625Caught by a cat? Phone straight away. Cat bites need antibiotics quickly, even with no visible wound.
Adult garden bird
Contain it, then keep it calm and dark.
Birds stunned by a window may recover by themselves if kept somewhere dark and quiet for an hour. A bird that's been caught by a cat or has an obvious injury needs a rescuer.
Do
- Gently cover it with a towel and place it in a ventilated box
- Keep the box somewhere quiet, away from pets
- Phone quickly if a cat was involved
Don’t
- Give food, water or bread
- Keep opening the box to check on it
Who to call
Mansfield Wildlife Rescue01623 810625
Owl or bird of prey
The talons are the danger.
Raptors can grip through gloves, tendons and bone. Keep handling and stress to an absolute minimum, and let a specialist do the catching if you can.
Do
- Keep people and pets well back
- If you must contain it, drop a towel over it and place a box over the top
Don’t
- Handle it bare-handed
- Try to pin it down or hold its legs
Swan, goose, duck or gull
Protect your face.
Swans and geese are powerful. Gulls and herons strike at the eyes. If you find several wild birds dead or visibly sick in the same place, don't touch them — report suspected bird flu to Defra.
Do
- Wear eye protection if you have it
- For a swan or goose, a coat gently over the head can calm it
- Report groups of dead or sick birds
Don’t
- Touch dead or sick birds if bird flu is possible
- Put your face near a heron or gull
Bat
Never touch a bat with bare hands.
Ring the Bat Helpline first so they can put you in touch with a trained bat carer. If you're bitten or scratched, wash the wound with soap and water and contact your GP or NHS 111 the same day.
Do
- Wear gloves if you need to contain it
- Use a small box with air holes and a cloth inside
Don’t
- Handle it bare-handed
- Try to feed it or release it yourself
Fox
Contain the scene, not the fox.
A conscious adult fox will bite hard. It needs a trained responder with the right equipment, such as a grasper or crush cage.
Do
- Keep people and pets back
- Keep watching from a distance so you can tell the rescuer where it went
- Note the exact location (what3words helps)
Don’t
- Try to pick up an active fox
- Corner it
Badger
Don't try to restrain it.
A badger can crush bone through a glove. An active adult needs trained help, as normal ways of holding an animal aren't safe.
Do
- Keep traffic, people and pets away if it's safe to do so
- Stay with it from a safe distance and phone
Don’t
- Touch or try to move it
- Stand between it and cover
Deer or fawn
Never put a deer in a car.
However calm it looks, hooves and antlers in a moving car can cause fatal injuries, and the stress of being caught can kill a deer.
Found a fawn on its own? Mothers leave fawns hidden for hours while they feed. Unless it's injured or in immediate danger, leave it and watch from far away.
Do
- Keep well back and keep dogs on a lead
- Phone for advice with the exact location
Don’t
- Load it into a car, boot or footwell
- Touch or move a healthy fawn
Who to call
Mansfield Wildlife Rescue01623 810625Deer hit on a road and blocking traffic? Call the police on 999 or 101 as well.
Squirrel or small mammal
Warmth comes first.
Small mammals lose heat fast. If it might be a red squirrel, contact a specialist urgently. The law on grey squirrels is complicated, so ask a rescue or vet before deciding what happens next.
Do
- Wear gloves, as squirrels can bite hard
- Put it in a secure box with a towel and gentle warmth
Don’t
- Give milk or food
- Release a grey squirrel somewhere new yourself
Who to call
Mansfield Wildlife Rescue01623 810625
Snake, frog or toad
Leave adders alone.
The adder is the UK’s only venomous snake. It has a dark zig-zag down its back. If one is caught in netting, call an expert rather than cutting it free. An adder bite is a 999 emergency.
Do
- Wet your hands before touching a frog or toad
- Move amphibians off roads in the direction they were heading
Don’t
- Handle any snake you can't identify
- Put amphibians in a dry box in the sun
Who to call
Mansfield Wildlife Rescue01623 810625
Not sure what it is?
Keep your distance and phone.
If you can't identify the animal, keep pets and children away and call before trying to move it. A photo taken from a safe distance helps us advise you quickly.
Do
- Take a photo from a safe distance
- Note exactly where you found it
Don’t
- Handle it until you've had advice
- Give food or water
Animals we may not be able to take
Space and specialist facilities are limited, so for some species we'll need to point you to another rescue. Please phone and we'll help you find the right place.
List the species or situations you can't accept (e.g. adult deer, domestic pets, certain birds) and where people should go instead. This box is only visible in review mode.
This is general first-aid guidance, not veterinary advice. If you're unsure, ring a vet or a suitable specialist rescue.
Our story
Small team. Big-hearted care.
Cheryl's journey began in 1988, caring for birds, especially parrots. For 18 years it was a much-loved hobby, until friends and family started bringing her injured wild birds, and it grew from there.
When she became a full-time carer for her disabled husband, she could give more time to the work. In 2019 she registered Mansfield Wildlife Rescue as a charity. After a devastating fire in 2022, the rescue moved to its new home at Pleasley Vale. Today Cheryl leads the charity with trustees, volunteers and supporters, and still works closely with parrots and with other brilliant organisations.
“The best outcome is a wild animal back where it belongs.”
- 1988Cheryl begins caring for birds, with a passion for parrots.
- 2006Friends and family start bringing in injured wild birds.
- 2019Mansfield Wildlife Rescue becomes a registered charity (1186301).
- 2022A devastating fire. The rescue moves to Pleasley Vale.
- TodayA 99-year lease secures the centre's future, thanks to community fundraising.
Birds & owls
From garden birds to owls, with quiet spaces to recover and room to learn to fly.
Foxes
Care for injured and orphaned foxes, keeping them wild and ready for release.
Badgers & small mammals
Warmth, feeding and patient care for hedgehogs, badger cubs and other mammals.
Deer
Calm, low-stress care for fawns and deer, one of the most delicate species to handle.
Release and admissions figures are from the charity's 2024–25 trustees' report.
Plan your visit
Find us at Pleasley Vale.
Come and see us, have tea and cake, and learn about the animals. If you're bringing in wildlife, please phone first.
Look above the cottages.
- Shire Road, Pleasley Vale, NG19 8RNNG19 8RN is the nearest postcode. From Mansfield Woodhouse it may take you to a row of cottages just below the rescue. Carry on up.
- what3words: ///typically.sniff.wellsPinpoints the rescue's exact location.
- Dogs welcome, on a leadAnimals roam freely in the grounds, so dogs must stay on a lead at all times.
- Step-free and accessibleThe site is step-free, so it’s accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
- Visitor car parkThere’s a dedicated car park for visitors.
On site
The Secret Garden Tea Room
Our volunteer-run café serves homemade food and cakes. It's a chance to relax and learn more about the rescue. Every penny goes towards the daily cost of caring for the animals.
- Tuesday–Sunday
- 10:30am – 4:30pm
- Monday
- Closed
Anything to add? For example: menu highlights, cakes to order, card payments, events or group bookings.
Get involved
Every gift helps an animal get home.
Your support pays for food, medicine, vet bills and safe spaces for the animals in our care. Donating online takes less than a minute.
Donate online
Donate with PayPal ↗
Give securely with PayPal
Make a one-off donation by card or with your PayPal account. You don't need a PayPal account to give.
Is the charity registered for Gift Aid? If so, add a line asking UK taxpayers to tick Gift Aid when they donate.
Lend a hand
We're a small team, and volunteers make a huge difference to the animals and to the tea room. If you'd like to help, give us a call or send an email telling us a little about yourself and when you're free.
Which roles do you need? For example: animal care, tea room, cleaning, transport drivers, fundraising or events, maintenance. Any minimum age, training or time commitment?
Our wish list
Practical things we always need. Please phone before dropping donations off.
- Cat & dog food
- Cat biscuits
- Hay
- Straw
- Wood shavings
- Puppy pads
- Parrot food
- Parakeet food
- Wild bird food
- Kaytee hand-rearing formula
- CeDe egg food
- Mealworms
- Esbilac or Royal Canin puppy milk powder
- Royal Canin Puppy Mousse
- Hills A/D
- Heat mats
- Bowls
- Fleece blankets
- Small indoor rabbit/guinea pig enclosures
- Mixed nuts
- Rabbit hutches
Do you have an Amazon (or similar) wish list link? It could go here as a button.
News
Big news from the rescue.
A secure home, a growing centre and a community pulling together to keep local wildlife safe.
A secure future
A 99-year future at Pleasley Vale.
Thanks to a huge community fundraising effort, Mansfield Wildlife Rescue has secured a 99-year lease on its Pleasley Vale home, protecting the centre and the animals who depend on it. Thank you to everyone who gave.
Three in four animals released
In 2024–25, around 75% of admissions were rehabilitated and released back to the wild, even as admissions rose by about 30%.
The Secret Garden Tea Room is open
Homemade food, Tuesday to Sunday, with every penny going to the animals. Find out more →
Questions
Frequently asked questions.
Can't find what you need? Call 01623 810625 between 10:30am and 4pm.
Can you come and collect an animal?
We're a small team and often can't collect, so we may ask you to bring the animal to us. Please phone first and we'll talk you through the safest option. For deer, badgers, adult foxes and large birds, don't try to move them yourself. Phone for advice.
Confirm your collection policy: do you ever collect, and in what area?
It's outside your opening hours. What should I do?
Our rescue line is open 10:30am–4pm. For real emergencies outside those hours, call 07758 317028. If it's not urgent, keep the animal warm, dark and quiet in a secure box, don't feed it, and call us when the line opens.
Should I give it food or water?
No. The wrong food can make wild animals very ill, and water can get into the lungs. Wait until you've spoken to a rescuer.
Can I visit the rescue?
Yes. The Secret Garden Tea Room is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30am–4:30pm. Dogs are welcome on a lead. Some animals need peace and quiet to recover, so not every area is open to visitors.
Confirm what visitors can see, and any tours or open days.
Can I get an update on an animal I brought in?
Of course. Call the rescue line and tell us the species and the date you brought it in. Please bear with us during busy seasons, when caring for the animals has to come first.
Confirm how you prefer to handle update requests (phone, email, Facebook?).
Will the animal be released where I found it?
Where it's safe and right for the species, we try to release animals back where they came from, or into suitable habitat nearby. When and where depends on the animal's recovery and the season.
Check this matches your release practice, and whether finders can ever attend a release.
Do you take pets or domestic animals?
We focus on native wildlife. For pets, strays or animal welfare concerns, please contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 or a local vet.
You care for parrots and have resident goats and pigs, so confirm your policy on domestic animals and exotic birds.
How do I know my donation reaches the animals?
Mansfield Wildlife Rescue is a registered charity (number 1186301), overseen by trustees and regulated by the Charity Commission. You can look us up on the Charity Commission register.
Contact
Get in touch.
For admissions and advice, phone is quickest. Please call before travelling with an animal.