2025 – the year that keeps on giving
East Sussex Wildlife Rescue Ambulance Service (WRAS) have faced an unprecedented year with regards to the number of casualty call-outs and admissions.
With wildlife reported casualties on the rise, the small but mighty team of staff and volunteers at WRAS, have faced their most challenging year to date. With May hitting over 1000 casualties for the first time in the charities’ history, and June reaching over 1000 casualties also for the third year running, the team have been kept busy!
Due to the warming climate, annual patterns are being unpredictable with varying challenges faced by different species each year with our unpredictable weather and extremes. The early heat wave and spring brought forward the breeding season starting exceptionally early, and repeated heat wave causing food sources to becomes scares or poor quality meaning fledgling and juveniles are struggling currently means that the WRAS team are facing admissions requiring greater care especially earlier and later in the year when second or even third clutches of young being born.
This places huge pressure on the team, as the breeding season is the busiest time of year for the charity. Not only on the teams capacity, but on space, finances and resources vital to providing high level care. The number of casualties dealt with during each summer month is 400% higher than those during the quietest winter months.
But the reality is that the work never stops. Just because the ‘breeding season’ is drawing to an end, they now start to welcome the autumn season which brings an array of different species to the centre for care, especially hedgehogs which are being born later in the year as our mild weather continues into winter causing hedgehogs to get caught out and suddenly in need of hibernation causing them to abandon their late babies.
East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service provide 24/7 support to the public calling in reports of animals in distress. Founded in 1996, the charity aims to provide essential care to wildlife in need. When it is not possible for the public to bring the animal to the casualty centre themselves or this is considered too dangerous, WRAS are there to support you by arranging collection in one of their specially designed ambulances. With a dedicated care and veterinary team on-site 7 days a week, the team are able to provide immediate care and give all casualties the best chance of rehabilitation and release.
