Traditionally, the period from April to the end of September marks our busiest season. Weather significantly influences our peak times. In some years, a prolonged cold spell through March and April can delay the onset of the busy season, while a mild autumn can extend it.
Every year the number of casualties we deal with generally increases. The only exception has been in 2020 during the Covid lockdowns which occurring at the height of the busy season. People were working from home and and if their cat or dog caught a wild animal or bird they were there to rescue it and save it, where as normally they would come home from work and either not know their pet had caught a wild creature or the creature was found dead. Not surprisingly the following year the total decreased.
You can view the above data online in a more interactive format by clicking here:
The above table is not completely accurate as this is based on the initial call out assessment, which can change. However, categories like cat, dog or predator attacks are only used where the someone has actually witnessed that animal attacking the casualty, otherwise the injuries are recorded as one of the injury categories where the cause is not known.
Human attacks, cat attacks, dog attacks, road casualties are suspected to be much higher than recorded here as they are often not witnessed but the injuries and location are consistent with those type of incidents.
A number of cases could be classed as falling into more than one of the categories above, but the primarily reason why we are being asked to attend a rescue will be recorded only.
Eastbourne has always been the heart of our area and we are best known in that town than anywhere else hence that is where we receive the highest number of calls to. We also find that people often refer to themselves as being in Eastbourne when in fact that are often in a suburb like Willingdon, Langney or Sovereign Harbour.
Calls about casualties in the very north of East Sussex are generally passed to Folly Wildlife Rescue, casualties in the far east of East Sussex are passed to the RSPCA Mallydams Wood Wildlife Hospital.
A small organisation has been operating in the Bexhill & Hastings area for the last few years but are now winding down meaning there is now an increase in the number of calls we are receiving for that area. Due to the charity cutting back, a new organisation called Brighton & Hove Wildlife Advice & Rescue Service (WARS) has set up. They don't have any hospital facilities and work with surrounding organisations like WRAS who help to take in as many casualties as possible, therefore seeing an increase in the number of casualties we are admitting from that area.
This information is based on the town and the key council area which covers that town. In locations where a town is covered by more than one council like Saltdean being covered by both Brighton & Hove City Council and Lewes District Council, the data will lead to a slight imbalance in the results.
