All Posts

Spring really has sprung and babies are popping up everywhere! This year, we were one of the first rescues in the country to get a badger cub. Our year usually starts with fledgling birds and ducklings, but little Ian (named after his finder, Ian from Calderdale Badger Group) was our first spring baby to arrive. He was found out in the open by a dog, when he should have been safely tucked up with his mother underground. These images compare Ian with a print of a fully-grow

We are delighted to welcome Iain Pelling to our Board of Trustees. A prior leader and board level executive of enterprises large and small, a business growth consultant and a qualified Chartered Accountant, Iain brings a huge amount of experience to the role. “It was obvious when we met Iain that he has deep respect for the talents and ambitions of others, particularly those who are contributing to positive change in their communities and the world around them,” says Penny H

When a buzzard was spotted, tangled up in barbed wire, it looked like it might be the end of the road for this beautiful bird. It was spotted close to Cedar House School in Low Bentham, by one of our animal care team who also teaches there. He quickly gathered together a team of colleagues to free it. We lose so many raptors to barbed wire, it was absolutely heartbreaking to see another one caught up and fighting for its life. With help from staff on site, the buzzard was

As many of you will know, we found out in December last year that the building we currently rent - the former Church of England Primary School at Horton in Ribblesdale - is likely to be put up for sale. By now, we were hoping to have some degree of clarity on what might happen next, but unfortunately we are still waiting to hear. "The uncertainty is having a huge effect on us as an organisation," says Jane Carpenter, Co-founder. "It's extremely stressful not being able to

We are delighted to announce that the National Lottery Community Fund, Monday Charitable Trust, Northern Trains and private funders, have come together to support our first ever Safe Strimming campaign. This 12-month project, starting now and culminating in community activity in 2027, works to help slow the demise of one of the UK’s most threatened creatures - hedgehogs. Now "vulnerable to extinction", rural hedgehog populations have fallen catastrophically, by almost 75% si

Each year customers at Skipton Beer Festival are asked to donate money to a designated charity and this year the Festival Committee has decided to support Yorkshire Dales Wildlife Rescue. We are thrilled! The event, organised by Keighley & Craven CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale), will be held in the historic Town Hall, High Street, Skipton, from Thursday 21 to Saturday 23 May 2026. For the first time since returning to the Town Hall, the event will feature a wide range of real

We have just announced that our hugely popular Langcliffe Teas fundraiser will be on Sunday 26 April 2026. One of the biggest fundraisers of the year for the charity, the event runs fro m 2pm until 4. 30pm at La ngcliffe Village Hall. Langcliffe, very close to Settle, is a stunning village, close to some of the most beautiful scenery in the Yorkshire Dales. Why not come and make a day of it and support us at the same time? Jane Carpenter, Co-Founder, says: "We are one of

We are thrilled to announce that we are changing our name to Yorkshire Dales Wildlife Rescue . As the only wildlife rescue of its kind across many hundreds of square miles, we have rescued, rehabilitated and returned to the wild thousands of sick, injured and orphaned wild animals since we were established in 2019. Most of our patients are endangered species or those facing conservation challenges e.g. red- or amber-listed mammals and birds of conservation concern (BoCC) an

We were delighted to welcome Sir Julian Smith MP and Councillor David Staveley, Councillor for Settle and Pen-y-ghent, to the Rescue recently. They were both very supportive of what we do for nature and praised our efforts in securing permanent premises for our vital work. Penny Hunt (Rescue Co-Founder) shows Sir Julian Smith our hedgehog rehabilitation room They were fascinated to hear that, since our formation in 2019, our volunteer-run organisation has rescued, cared for

Do you know that we have over 60 volunteers, taking part in a variety of different roles from hands-on animal care, transport, DIY, fundraising and many other things? People come from all backgrounds and all parts of the Yorkshire Dales, the Forest of Bowland, Cumbria and wider North and West Yorkshire and either work at the Rescue, or remotely, making a huge differenc e to what we can achieve every day. Fancy joining our amazing team? We currently have vacancies for: Volu

We are exceptionally proud that our animal release rate, at 74%, is way above the UK national average of 42.6%. We've put a lot of hard work and care into making this happen and we want it to stay that way. So that's why planning for Spring is so very important. It's the time when we see our biggest surge in admissions - orphaned babies of all species and all ages. They are at their most vulnerable when they come to us and need very special care. So that's why, this year

Craven Wildlife Rescue is funded entirely by kind donations - whether it's from our individual donors or from a range of grant-givers who support our work. We welcome and truly appreciate all types of support - whether you want to give us the kind of items we need everyday to keep the Rescue running, or would prefer to donate some money instead. Below is a list of the items that we need, or you can also click here to make a financial donation. We thank you so much for any su

Last year, we experienced a steep rise in the number of injured and sick wild animals that came into our care. In 2025, Craven Wildlife Rescue took in over 750 animals and birds - nearly double the amount of the previous year. Despite initially just serving Craven, our work covers well over 500 square miles of countryside from our base in Horton in Ribblesdale. Not only do we serve the North Yorkshire area of Craven, the Yorkshire Dales National Park and the Forest of Bow

We're delighted to announce that Meg Gledhill and Fia Rutherford have become Trustees. "With their expertise in ecology and vetinerary care, Meg and Fia will be a fantastic addition to our senior team," says Penny Hunt, Co-Founder. "They are both totally committed to our cause and we are very excited to have them on board." Meg Gledhill is a professional ecologist with nearly ten years of experience working on projects for the private and public sector. She holds a degree i

Merry Christmas everyone - and a big thank you to everyone who has supported us, in any way, this year. Penny and Jane “2025 has been an amazing year for us,” says Penny Hunt, Co-Founder. “We are doing our annual count of all the animals we have cared for this year. We haven’t got the final number yet, but we know it far exceeds the number of animals we looked after in 2024. For us, it’s not just about saving the life of each individual animal, but giving that animal the

We've had a fabulous early Christmas present for us and the animals, thanks to support from The Craven Trust - a new, commercial washing machine! Housekeeping may not be at the ‘sexy’ end of what we do, but without it, the quality of our care would be seriously affected and, over time, we would slowly grind to a halt operationally. Our 'animal use' washing machine is one of the most important pieces of kit - it's doing its job every single day, washing bedding, dirty towels

In our news-in-brief section this ti me, we take our hat off to David (who’s taking on an enormous challenge to raise money for us); and send a massive thanks for donations of food and PPE we have received. When our good friend David Padmore , from Gargrave in North Yorkshire, contacted us to say he wanted to raise money for us, we never expected that he would be tackling "Britain's most brutal race". The Montane Winter Spine starts on 11 January 2026 and David is hoping to f

Some of you may know that the building we currently rent is likely to be put up for sale. This is on our minds every day and the Trustees are working hard, behind the scenes, to look at different options and what it means for our next phase of development. As soon as we know our plans, we will share them. We definitely need your help. We are hoping to have news of the timeline soon. It's an unsettling time for all of us. This important news has not only helped us reflect

Caring for hedgehogs that are pregnant is extremely challenging. It isn't unusual for us to admit a pregnant female, but it is fraught with worry. Even the kindest captivity for a wild animal is stressful and, even in the wild, a stressed hedgehog can abandon or kill their young. So when Fiona was rescued in Burton in Lonsdale, we knew we had to take extra special care of her. Hedgehog mothers are dedicated and protective. They nurse their young for several weeks and must

Christmas is a tricky time for our volunteers, as they juggle family celebrations and caring for animals. Meet Joy, one of the team working at the Rescue on Christmas Day. Tell us a bit about yourself I’m a semi-retired pensioner. I started my working life in the NHS as a Health Promotion Officer, then staff trainer in the mental health sector and brief spell with social services as a trainer in the alcohol and drug services. I then trained as a counsellor, which kept me bus