Wildlife Aid Foundation

Wildlife Aid Foundation
Non-profit
Industry Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation of Wildlife.
Founded 1980
Headquarters Leatherhead, Surrey, England, United Kingdom
Key people
 Simon Cowell, MBE (Founder, and current Director/Chairman)
Number of employees
 5 staff plus 300 volunteers
Website www.wildlifeaid.org.uk

The Wildlife Aid Foundation is a charity dedicated to the rescue, care and rehabilitation of sick, injured and orphaned animals. Based in Leatherhead, Surrey, UK, the centre operates Surrey County's only wildlife hospital[1] (one of the three largest such hospitals in the UK)[2] and maintains a referral service for wildlife hospitals throughout Europe.[3] The organisation also carries out environmental activist[3] and educational roles.[1][4] Wildlife Aid has attracted media attention for its rescues of photogenic wild animals like young foxes[5] and baby badgers;[6] Animal Planet's TV program Wildlife SOS chronicles the activities of Wildlife Aid volunteers as they rescue imperiled animals.

Wildlife hospital

Wildlife Aid got its start in 1979 when its founder, Simon Cowell, MBE, acquired a farmhouse in Leatherhead with the intention of starting a local wildlife rescue facility.[7] Formally established a year later, the centre's activities steadily increased in scale; the hospital now treats more than 20,000 wild animals a year,[7] returning 70% of them to the wild.[2] It has saved the lives of hundreds of thousands of animals since the charity's formation in 1980. The organisation currently operates on a budget of £350,000 per year,[7] and relies on over 300 volunteers to provide an all-year-round service.[2] Its facilities include two operating theatres, a pathology lab, and an intensive care unit.[7] The charity's longer term aim is to build a larger complex on a new site that will allow the expansion of the organisation's educational programmes; the planned expansion would increase the facility's footprint to 10 acres (40,000 m2), rely heavily on eco-friendly technology, and be carbon-neutral.[1]

As of 11 November 2011, "Wildlife Aid" was reincorporated at the Charity Commission as the "Wildlife Aid Foundation"

Wildlife SOS

In 1996, following a fire that destroyed one third of the hospital complex, Cowell found his organisation reliant on media attention for its continued survival.[7] Cowell was approached by representatives of the newly formed Animal Planet channel to produce a television series chronicling the drama of life in the wildlife rescue facility. The show was originally produced by Cowell's Wild Productions, but later directly by the foundation, with Cowell as the presenter. It experienced long-term success; it has been cited as "the longest-running animal rescue TV series".[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Portlock, Jonathan (31 December 2008). "Leatherhead's Wildlife Aid needs land (From Your Local Guardian)". www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  2. 1 2 3 "the Big Give - About Wildlife Aid". www.thebiggive.org.uk. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  3. 1 2 "Save The Badgers - stop the badger cull - Black & White Campaign". www.blackandwhite.info. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  4. ↑ "TWO THIRDS OF UK DRIVERS STOP FOR INJURED ANIMALS". www.virgin-records.co.za. 5 March 2005. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  5. ↑ "Curious fox gets stuck in wheel". www.metro.co.uk. 30 May 2007. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  6. ↑ "Baby badger saved from dog's jaws". news.bbc.co.uk. 2 March 2006. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Gabbert, Euan. "Elmbridge Online covering Cobham, Esher, Oxshott, Walton and Weybridge". www.elmbridge-online.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
  8. ↑ "Simon Cowell MBE - 'Wildlife S.O.S' Television Presenter and Producer". www.gordonpoole.com. Retrieved 2009-01-27.
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