Wildlives

See pages 12-13

Welcome to the Secret World Wildlife

I was watching the news this morning and was pleased to see a report regarding Secret World releasing a fox back into a garden in Bristol from where it had been rescued some weeks earlier, having become caught up in some netting. It is fantastic to see the important work of the Charity continuing to be acknowledged and for our reputation to continue to grow.

Inevitably the Charity gets some criticism for the work we do and the decisions we take. In a world of social media there are always those who comment knowing only some of the facts and sadly those who comment without caring about the facts. Our Wildlife Care team continue to do an amazing job, confident in their professionalism and ability to make a decision which is in the best interests of the animal concerned.

There are also some folk who “prefer the way things were” but in order for the Charity to survive (when a number of similar Charities are struggling or closing down) there is

The Bluebell Barn, our on-site wedding and event facility.

for a short period as we had 360 animals on site.

It is not an easy time for any Charity or business. Secret World costs nearly £1.5 million a year to run. There are growing financial pressures, with the increase in the Employers NI contribution and the cost of medicines and foodstuffs, plus legislative changes meant we had to change the way Secret World operates. I am so proud of, and grateful, to all the staff and to the many volunteers who continue to give so much time and energy to Secret World.

Chew Magna Fire Crew.

The first orphaned Badger Cub of 2025.

There are several exciting things in the pipeline for next year. Our Autumn ball last November received a lot of positive feedback and brought in more funds than ever before, so we are already planning this year’s ball. We are hoping to open a coffee shop on site and hold a summer garden party. We continue to host weddings and

celebrations of life plus other events. So keep your eyes peeled for what is happening.

As always a huge thank you to all the volunteers, staff and supporters for your hard work and support. We obviously could not do it without you.

Richard Hockey, Chair of Trustees

2024 Secret World Fundraising Auction and Ball.

Founder’s Report

Pauline Kidner

14th January, 2025

How Nature Recovers.

Early spring can bring the joy of seeing butterflies emerging from hibernation. The beautiful Brimstone Butterfly is a lovely yellow and will emerge at any time during the winter if temperatures are raised. In fact, my husband and I walked up to our Millennium Wood on Christmas day and saw a Brimstone butterfly fluttering through the trees. It was so mild with the sunshining that it could have been a spring day.

The male is a real sulphur yellow whereas the female has orange spots. I’m afraid it was too far away to identify and when they are resting on a leaf with their wings closed, the greenish hue makes them almost impossible to see on leaves. They have a particularly long tongue designed to help them collect nectar from the deep throats of primroses –a food source as soon as they flower even in winter.

The severe cold and dreadful fires that we have seen in the past month gives us a very worrying trait in the weather that we now see. I can remember in 2014 when Somerset was flooded due to heavy rain. Some of the fields remained under water from January to March and there were concerns as to the survival of earthworms and insects so crucial for food for so many wildlife species. Some farmers in the area had anything from 50 - 90% of their land flooded making the care of animals very difficult. Many farmers came to the help of those farms flooded by helping with feed or dry land to house animals until they could return to their own farms. Two villages were completely cut off for several weeks with supplies and transport carried out by boat. In fact when the land dried, recovery was amazing with daffodils bursting through within a week.

We were called out by someone who had been out on the flooded land in their canoe to what was reported as a sow and cubs seen on a small spit of land. Our response drivers went out on a borrowed boat. The problem was that it was impossible to see where the rhines were or the barbed wire fences as the water was so high. As they made their way out there, an otter swam past! When they reached the place where the badgers were, it was clear that in fact it was three adults. Two badgers were saved but sadly the third went back into the water and despite exhaustive searching, it was concluded to have drowned.

Three badgers were stranded on an island.

unheard of. But just how can nature keep healing these terrible events unless we do our best to resolve climate change.

Secret World is no different from any other charity in that donations have reduced and understandably so, in the current climate. We will always try to make sure that we do all that we can to help wildlife that needs our care. We have amazing and dedicated staff and volunteers who make it all possible. My thanks to you as a supporter of Secret World Wildlife Rescue.

A barn owl in dandelions.

Barn owl family.

Photo: Jason Venus

ADMISSIONS

Right and below: Fox going for release in Bristol after being caught in football netting.

a. Photo of fox in net.

b. Photo of injury healing.

Above: Pigeon with wing bandage.

Above left: Hoglet with ringworm before treatment.

Above right: Hoglet with ringworm after treatment.

Left: Otter cub.

Below left: A cormorant with fishing hook caught in its beak.

Below right: Buzzard.

“Look at her blossom”

In June 2024, we had a call about a fawn which had been found all alone.

A member of the public had kept her nice and warm in their stables until our Wildlife Care team arrived. During the very short period she was in the care of the stable owner, they had christened her ‘Blossom’, and this name followed her to Secret World.

Once she arrived, she became a companion for another fawn in our care, however, she was much more independent than her new penmate from the start. Our team provided round-the-clock care for Blossom, including bottle feeding and providing one-to-one interaction as well as some very long days and nights initially. Blossom very quickly started lapping from her dish, deciding she no longer needed the bottle feeds.

Emma from our care team said “It was lovely to see her personality

shine through during her time in our care. She picked up self-feeding quickly and we would see her zooming around her pen each day at full speed”.

However, there were still many harder times during her care, when her prospects were not looking so bright but by the time Blossom had lost her white spots, she had become self-sufficient and was finally ready for release by autumn. This was an amazing moment for the team who had worked so closely with Blossom, getting to see her take her first steps out into her new life.

Unfortunately, not all recoveries are as positive as this one, but it’s moments like this that give our team a boost and reinforce why we love our work and the impact we can have on each animal in our care.

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A gift in your Will could give the gift of freedom

Create a lasting legacy and help protect wildlife for future generations.

After you’ve taken care of your loved ones, a gift in your will for Secret World Wildlife Rescue is the perfect way to help wildlife and make sure it’s looked after for years to come. A gift in your will could give the gift of freedom to a sick, injured, or orphaned wild animal and help it get back to the wild.

We’ve teamed up with Bequeathed to offer free, professionally drafted wills to our supporters.

Book your free consultation today, either by phone or online.

See www.secretworld.org/legacy or call us to get started.

“I have been a patron of Secret World Wildlife Rescue for many years and have enjoyed visiting and seeing how much the charity has progressed. It has retained its ethics of best care and every single animal is important to them. Please consider leaving a legacy gift to Secret World, I know it will make such a difference to the animals in their care.”

Valerie Singleton OBE, TV presenter and SWWR patron

If you would like more information about how leaving a gift in your will could help wildlife, please contact us on 01278 783250 or email fundraising@secretworld.org

SECOND CHANCES

Is spending time to give an animal a second chance in the wild worth doing?

Obviously, we know it is!

It’s when a result from marking animals brings reports into us that we can feel proud of Secret World. This year there have been two reports from bird ringing that was carried out in 2013.

The first was a Tawny owl which unfortunately was a sad story, with her being found drowned in a water butt. However, a more positive report was of a Lesser Black Back Gull

seen on the coast in Asturias in Spain. This means that both birds lived at least 11 years after we released them. Although the tawny story is sad, their average l ife expectancy in the wild is only 4 years so this is still remarkable.

It may be only a day, or it may be 11 years or more, every day given to wildlife in a second chance must be important for all the damage we do to this world.

Photo: Gilberto S. Jardon

Love wildlife? Adopt!

Adopt an animal and help give sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife a second chance at life in the wild.

Our wildlife adoptions are a great way to help wildlife, and with five animals to choose from they make great gifts for animal lovers.

Each adoption pack contains:

• A cuddly toy

• An animal factsheet

• A photo card

• A certificate of adoption

• Newsletter updates

All this from just £3 per month, or £36 for a whole year.

Choose from badger, fox, deer, hedgehog or owl..

Go to www.secretworld.org/adoptions to adopt an animal today.

EDUCATION

In 2025, we are continuing to offer a fantastic range of events, courses, and sessions designed to inspire and inform people about British wildlife.

In October we ran a series of funded sessions, our ‘Wild Academy: Helping Hedgehogs’ workshops saw us interact with over 50 young people throughout October half term, they learnt about hedgehog conservation and some of the problems British hogs are facing before building a hedgehog house to take home. These workshops were followed up with a session for the young person’s school class.

Our online wildlife courses continue to thrive, attracting participants from across the country and even further afield. These sessions offer a unique opportunity to interact directly with our experienced wildlife carers, providing valuable insights into wildlife rehabilitation and in-depth knowledge on specific species. Dates for our upcoming courses are available on our website.

Looking to inspire the next generation of conservationists? Our Head of Education and Public Relations, George, is now taking school bookings for 2025. Whether you are looking for a curriculum-linked workshop at your school or a hands-on visit to Secret World, we offer an array of activities, including pond-dipping, nature walks, rescue equipment workshops and much more.

We also offer bespoke sessions for community groups, scouts, and guiding units. These are perfect for learning about wildlife rescue and hearing about some of the animals in our care. To find out more or book a session, visit our website or email Learning@secretworld.org.

Fantastic friends!

We have to say a huge thank you to the Association of Animal Artists, who selected us as their Charity of the Year in 2024. They held a spring exhibition and an autumn auction with a portion of the proceeds being donated to support our work. They donated a whopping £5,000. We can’t thank you enough for your support.

We are very grateful for the amazing businesses and organisations who host collection boxes for Secret World. These cash donation pots may be seen all around somerset (and further afield) in local shops and pubs and are an easy way to show support for our work. Over the past 3 months we have raised over £800 in returned pots – a huge thank you to:

If you, or someone you know have a business who would be willing to host a collection pot please let us know by phone or email

fundraising@secretworld.org.

Our team are often out in the community doing talks educating people of all ages on the work we do and what the public can do to protect British Wildlife. We want to say a massive thank you to West Buckland Friends Club, Wells 5th & 7th Scout Group and Woolavington Community Group for inviting us to speak, and for collecting over £250 in donations for joining these talk events. If you have a local group who would be interested in hearing about our work, please contact our education team at learning@secretworld.org.

Currys,Bridgwater were kind enough to allow our fundraising and outreach team to join them for a fundraising event in December. These opportunities allow our team to go out and spread the word about all we do to support local wildlife. Not only did we raise cash donations on the day, but they were also kind enough to donate a selection of office chairs and computer equipment.

Thank you, and we will be back there again soon.

First Leveret of the Season Arrives at Secret World

Spring has arrived, and with it comes the ﬁrst leveret of the year at our centre!

This tiny hare, weighing just 125g, was unfortunately disturbed from its 'form'—the natural nest-like depression where its mother would have left it for safety. Leverets are often mistaken for orphaned baby rabbits when found alone, but in most cases, they are exactly where they should be.

Sadly, in this instance, the leveret could not be returned to the wild as it had been in human care for up to 24 hours before reaching us. So, it was determined that the best course of action was to hand-rear the little one at our centre.

little leveret loves to display its mischievous side to our dedicated rearers, keeping us all entertained.

Now on day four of its stay with us, the leveret is showing promising signs of progress. It is gaining weight steadily and increasing its milk intake little by little. Beyond its physical growth, we are also seeing glimpses of its personality emerge!

While we do not yet know whether it is male or female, one thing is certain—this tiny creature is already winning hearts. We will continue to provide the best possible care, ensuring it grows strong and healthy until it is ready for the next stage of its journey.

Make sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram to tune in for more updates as we follow this special leveret’s progress.

VALIANT VOLUNTEERS

Here at Secret World, we celebrate a team of over 200 volunteers and students that we rely on heavily to fulfil a number of different roles across the charity. We always have opportunities throughout the year for people who would like to get involved with volunteering activities. To find out more and apply, please visit our website and fill out the online volunteer application form.

Here are just some examples of volunteers that have really stood out in their efforts and commitment this year.

Sharon

Sharon has been an incredibly dedicated volunteer with us for the past 18 months. She gives a regular weekly shift to support our Glastonbury charity shop and then another weekly shift as a wildlife rescue ambulance driver collecting injured and orphaned animals. Last year Sharon rescued and prevented the suffering of 63 animals!

“Rescuing vulnerable wildlife is one of the most rewarding actions I take in my life.... it’s good to feel that regardless of everything going on in the world one can make a difference. And there's always a range of different ways I can contribute to Secret World that fit around my busy life.”

Dave

Dave is one of our regular long-standing volunteers that has been with the charity for 4 years. He likes to keep busy since he retired and comes in regularly to work alongside our on-site maintenance team. The maintenance team have the never ending task of keeping 40 outdoor enclosures, aviaries, pens and lawns up to standard, building new projects, whilst maintaining the treatment centre, shops, education barn, wedding marquee and vehicles too, they need all the help they can get and don’t know what they’d do without our Dave.

“Dave is a pleasure to be around with his playful, friendly nature as well as being a very hard worker.”

Cameron

Cameron was interested to gain as much experience as he could with the aim to begin a new career in wildlife rehabilitation, he has been part of our wildlife care team for 7 months and has clocked up over 400 volunteering hours which has been invaluable to us, and given him opportunity to learn about all areas of rehabilitation and deal with a huge variety of wildlife species.

“Cameron is consistently reliable and keen to get involved with anything and everything, he is a massive support to the team, we’re very lucky to have him.” (Cameron has since been employed and is well on his way to achieving his ambitions)

Caroline

Caroline has almost been volunteering with us for a year and is our top contributor for the role of response driving. Response drivers accept ad-hoc calls from our reception team to ask if they are available to collect small animals that need our help. Caroline always tries to help with this as much as she can and has rescued over 60 animals to date.

“I love being a volunteer for Secret World. I’ve learnt so much. Mainly I collect injured animals from the public or from vets but during busy periods I help in the wildlife hospital. There I’ve done things I’d never thought I’d do like hand feeding tiny birds & hedgehogs! I’d like to do more when I can. Thank you, Secret World, for giving me the chance to do these things.”

Volunteer for the day!!

Corporate Groups

We always have availability for corporate groups to join us throughout the year and particularly during the autumn/winter seasons.

•They enable us to complete large projects that we wouldn’t be able to attempt on our own

•They help us to keep our 4-acre site full of pens, enclosures, lawns and aviaries maintained so we can rehabilitate and care for thousands of animals a year

•Great team building opportunity for working groups

•Opportunity to get outside and do something active for the day

•Groups are given a tour of our hospital rooms & treatment centre on the day

•Our corporate days are free of charge

We can take groups of between 4-10 people per day so if you have a larger group, we’d be happy to arrange over several days.