Frequently Asked Questions

If there is a heating appliance that can be removed safely, remove it (but take professional advice if the appliance is a gas one). Shine a strong light or torch at the entrance to the or hole chimney. Birds fly towards light. Close all windows and doors and leave the room for an hour. Check at intervals for the presence of a bird but call Folly if the bird doesn’t appear. 

If the bird appears contain it and bring into Folly for a check-up as soon as possible. It could be severely dehydrated/weak and is likely to be caked with soot – do not release it until it has been checked over. Arrange for a cowl to be fitted on the chimney to stop reoccurrence – call a chimney sweep if you can’t do this yourself. 

Deer are very highly-strung and should not be approached. Keep the downstairs curtains closed, any dogs indoors and avoid making any loud noises. If it got in the garden, it should be able to get out again. In 90% of these cases the deer will be gone by the following morning.  

If it’s a young deer watch (from a distance) as the parents do leave young animals alone for periods of time. 

Peacocks are domestic animals and have an owner or have escaped, so unfortunately, there’s nothing Folly can do as we only work with UK wildlife. It will eventually move away unless it’s injured in which case the caller should contact the RSPCA or take it to your local veterinary practice. Don’t be tempted to feed it, as this will exacerbate the situation. 

Our staff have specialist experience with hand-rearing wildlife and we highly advise against trying to care for young wildlife yourself at home. Bringing it to Folly or another wildlife rescue near you will give the animal the best chance of survival and rehabilitation going forward. 

The mother would have hatched her babies somewhere in the garden but not have taken into consideration that it’s completely enclosed. Ducklings don’t fly for the first seven weeks and would be kept warm and waterproofed by the mother for the first 48-72 hours. Normally, she would lead them to water within a day, but if this isn’t possible, they are at risk from predators and in the longer term cannot survive without access to a large pond or lake. She needs a safe exit from your garden, so even a gate left open is fine. No orphan duckling should be released without the mother duck. 

This will more than likely be a grass snake and not a danger. If there is a pond or water nearby, then this is almost certainly the case, and it is probably just passing through the garden. Leave it alone and no snake should be picked up with bare hands as there is always the possibility of misidentification and that it is actually an adder. 

Snakes are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. It is an offence to re-locate or kill them. 

We cannot take duvets or pillows to use within the hospital. We are also not able sell them on our auction. However, we can take towels and blankets. We also have a recycling bin in our carpark that takes textiles, books, DVDs and bric-a-brac which Folly is paid generously for when collected.