Monitoring Wildlife for a Better Future

Recent UK wildlife reports have highlighted a continuing decline in many much-loved species – including herring gulls, hedgehogs, and garden birds. To help turn the tide, Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital in Sidlesham, West Sussex has joined a nationwide post-release monitoring project aimed at understanding how rehabilitated animals fare once they return to the wild.

This exciting initiative helps conservation organisations across the country collect valuable data that can guide long-term wildlife protection and habitat management to create a better future for our precious wildlife.

Why Monitoring Matters For Wildlife

Every year, wildlife hospitals like Brent Lodge care for thousands of injured, orphaned, and sick animals. However, once released, little is often known about how these animals adapt and survive back in their natural environment.

By investing in post-release monitoring, Brent Lodge hopes to bridge this gap — helping to assess the success of rehabilitation, track animal movements, and contribute to a broader understanding of population trends across the UK. The data gathered will help shape conservation strategies that protect and sustain local ecosystems for generations to come.

Microchipping Hedgehogs

Each year, we treat over 500 hedgehogs, many of which are successfully rehabilitated and returned to the wild. As part of this process, we have microchipped hundreds of healthy hedgehogs prior to release, a crucial step given the significant decline in wild hedgehog populations across the UK. One of the first actions in this new project has been to microchip every hedgehog before release. The procedure is similar to microchipping a pet: a tiny chip is inserted just under the skin with a small needle. Although momentarily uncomfortable, the chip does not affect the hedgehog’s health, comfort, or behaviour once it is released.

This small act provides a huge benefit. If a microchipped hedgehog is later found, scanned, or readmitted, rescuers can instantly identify and access their full medical history. This provides valuable data that supports conservation efforts.

Why It’s So Important:

• Health and survival – Microchipping allows rescues to track long-term survival and health outcomes of released animals.

• Targeted prevention – If data shows repeated injuries in a certain area (such as lawnmower or strimmer injuries), education and outreach efforts can focus there to prevent future harm.

• Better medical care – Re-scanned hedgehogs give insight into their treatment history, helping vets avoid unnecessary medication and tailor care for each individual.

• Conservation and Population research - Monitoring wildlife patterns and populations helps contribute towards the efforts to conserve species.

We are grateful for the funding provided by local businesses, philanthropists and individuals to specifically help us continue our work caring for hedgehogs. The Reed Foundation generously donated £1,250 to help towards our match funding target. We were also fortunate to receive £300 from Wagner Renewables as part of their eco fund.

Tagging & Ringing Birds

Alongside the hedgehog microchipping, Brent Lodge is also working with trained and licensed bird ringers — including Mike Bailey, John Newnham, and Chrissi Twitchen — who are authorised by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

Initially, the project began with gulls, but has since expanded to include red-listed and key bird species, including garden birds and birds of prey. These birds are ringed just before release, after a period of rehabilitation and rearing.

Each bird receives:

• A metal ring – issued by the BTO for official identification.

• A colour ring – dark blue with yellow letters, beginning with either N or P, which makes them easier to spot and identify in the wild.

  
  

How You Can Help

If you’re lucky enough to spot a ringed gull, your sighting could provide vital data!Please report your sighting online here (selecting the ‘Rehab’ tab):👉 https://westcornwallrg.shinyapps.io/sightings/

Each report helps researchers understand how far these birds travel, where they settle, and how well they adapt after release.

Expanding the Project in the Future

As this project grows, Brent Lodge hopes to expand post-release monitoring to other frequently admitted species, offering deeper insights into the wellbeing of British wildlife.

• Foxes – Often rescued after road traffic injuries, tracking released foxes could help identify high-risk crossing areas and inform local councils where wildlife signage or safer corridors are needed.

• Raptors – Birds of prey such as buzzards, kestrels, and tawny owls provide valuable indicators of ecosystem health, reflecting changes in prey populations, land use, and pollution levels.

• Waterfowl – Swans, ducks, and moorhens often suffer from pollution or discarded fishing tackle injuries. Monitoring them post-release can reveal how they respond to water quality improvements and conservation efforts.

• Bats – Sensitive to light and habitat changes, bats are a vital part of the ecosystem. Tracking their success after rehabilitation could highlight the impact of light pollution and insect population shifts.

  
  

Each of these species plays an important role in maintaining the health and balance of local ecosystems, and understanding their recovery journeys helps conservationists plan better for the future.

A Step Towards Smarter Conservation

This project marks an important step forward in combining wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation science. By contributing data on post-release survival and behaviour, Brent Lodge Wildlife Hospital is helping build a clearer picture of the challenges our native species face and how we can best protect them.

From mammal microchips to bird tagging, every piece of information helps us make better decisions for the wildlife that depends on us. Together, we can ensure that the animals we care for today have a safer, stronger future in the wild.

By Asha Park