As the days grow shorter and the cold sets in, Britain’s wildlife faces a silent struggle for survival. Every frost, every storm, and every dark night brings new dangers for the wildlife that lives alongside us.

Hedgehogs curl up in nests of leaves that barely keep out the chill. Birds search desperately for food, as the ground hardens with ice. Badgers and foxes battle hunger and cold in the long, frozen nights. Deer, owls, and other wild creatures must navigate roads and fields, shrouded in darkness, just to survive another day.

At Wildlife Aid, we see the reality of winter, every day. Our hospital fills with patients - starving hedgehogs, injured foxes, exhausted birds - each clinging to life. Without our help, many simply wouldn’t make it through the season.

But, beyond our hospital walls, the struggle continues.

Winter is a season of survival for Britain’s wildlife - a time when even the strongest struggle to endure, as temperatures plummet, daylight fades, food disappears, shelter becomes scarce, and freezing winds cut through every hedge and hollow. For many animals, every night is a fight for life.

Frost and snow seal off natural food sources, leaving birds and small mammals starving. Flooding destroys nests and burrows, washing away homes built with care through autumn. The cold seeps into the bones of weak, injured, and orphaned animals - especially those born late in the year, who haven’t had time to build vital fat reserves. For them, winter isn’t just harsh - it’s deadly.

And if these environmental hardships weren’t enough, they are only the tip of the iceberg. What lies beneath - the hidden dangers caused by human activity and seasonal behaviour - can be even more devastating.

As animals struggle to survive the cold relentless months, they face new threats brought about by human activity and seasonal behaviours:

- Darker nights mean danger on the roads - more foxes, badgers, deer, and owls are hit by cars than at any other time of year.

- Bonfires become deadly traps, as hedgehogs and other small mammals make their nests inside log piles, unaware of the risk.

- Fireworks and loud celebrations force animals to flee their nests in panic, burning vital energy reserves they can’t replace.

- Habitat disturbance from gardening, tree cutting, and building work destroys crucial winter shelters and hibernation spots.

- Territorial fights break out between foxes and badgers during mating season, leaving many with deep bite wounds that can quickly become infected.

- Hibernating species, like bats, dormice, and amphibians, face fatal consequences if disturbed or if their safe places are destroyed.

For Britain’s wildlife, winter is not just cold - it’s cruel.

BUT you can be their lifeline

When the nights grow longer and the cold takes hold, your kindness can bring warmth, safety, and hope to the wild animals that need it most.

Our hospital can only operate thanks to the generosity of people like you - people who believe every life is worth saving.

With your support, we can provide warmth to the freezing, food to the starving, and urgent medical care to the injured.

This winter, your generosity will help keep our doors open, our wards warm, and our patients safe - giving every animal that arrives at our hospital the best possible chance to survive, recover, and return to the wild.

You can save lives, this winter

Every call we answer, every animal we treat, every life we save - happens because someone like you cared enough to act.

Your gift will bring warmth, comfort, and hope to the animals struggling to survive the harshest season.

Please, give what you can, today.

Together, we can help Britain’s wildlife survive the winter - and thrive in the spring.