St Tiggywinkles

Britain is well known for being a nation of animal lovers and in most cases pets and farm livestock are well looked after. However, in 1978, which is when Sue and Les Stocker and their son Colin started caring for injured wildlife, there were very few facilities or training available.

Les had found an injured hedgehog. He took it to a vet, who told him there was nothing he could do apart from put the animal to sleep. Determined to help the hedgehog Les took it to a local animal welfare centre. They said the same thing, so he took it home and cared for it himself.

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European Hedgehog

It wasn't long before the general public and other animal welfare organisations became aware of the Stockers willingness to care for these casualties and soon they were coping with a flood of injured animals, which included hedgehogs, badgers, birds and even deer.

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Young Roe Deer

Each different species meant there was something new to learn but, together with a local vet who was willing to help, they started to understand how different these wild animals were to their domestic counterparts.

At first the Stockers funded their work themselves. Then in February 1983 the project became a Registered Charity with the official title of The Wildlife Hospital Trust, Registered No. 286447. At this stage of the hospital's development, there was no mention of St Tiggywinkles.

It was not long before the Stockers noticed that as the casualties came in, the intake provided an indication of what was going on in the environment. One huge event was the drought of 1984 when there was a massive increase in the number of hedgehogs being brought in.

As a result, a nationwide campaign was launched to raise awareness of the problems hedgehogs were having and soon thousands of people were putting out bowls of water and dog food to support their neighbourhood "oggies". At the same time the campaign highlighted the fact that "bread and milk", which was traditionally left out for hedgehogs, was actually harmful to them.

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Baby Hedgehogs

Because of the campaign more people became aware that their local hedgehogs were sick or injured, so they would take them to the Wildlife Hospital for treatment. The numbers were so great that the Stockers had to install a new shed as a 'hedgehog only' ward. This was opened by the actress Susan Hampshire on 9th August 1985 and christened "St Tiggywinkles". It was the world's first hedgehog hospital.

You have to remember that the Stockers were doing all of this from their house and the shed was in their backgarden!

In 1991 St Tiggywinkles moved from the Stockers' back garden to a specially built hospital, which was originally the size of a large, two-storey villa. It was officially opened by Princess Alexandra, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, and several extensions have been added since then. The hospital is located in village of Haddenham, near Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, which is an hour's drive from London.

Currently the hospital has 23 full-time staff and 50 volunteers. Les gave up accountancy years ago!

The hospital treats between 8,000 and 10,000 "patients" a year and has become a world leader in the care of wildlife. The emergency telephone line is manned twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, to deal with requests for help - many from overseas - from people trying to help wild animals suffering in one way or another.

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Young Little Owl

The hospital has a triage section, where casualties are initially assessed on arrival. It also has an operating theatre plus different wards for different species, from snakes, foxes and badgers to swans, owls and bats. Then of course there is a ward for hedgehogs.

The wildlife hospital, Les Stocker's published books on first aid and the rehabilitation of wild animals are now a blueprint which is used worldwide for caring for sick and injured wildlife. Over 28 years Stocker and his staff have built up a whole bank of knowledge.

Initially there was no textbook solution for many of the diseases and injuries suffered by the wild animals brought into St Tiggywinkles. Les Stocker has had to find his own solutions, though often in consultation with vets or particular individuals or societies specialising in one species or another.

The results of this knowledge, gained through countless phone calls to animal specialists in the U.K. and abroad, are shared in Stocker's books. Les Stocker's "Practical Wildlife Care" has become the "wildlife treatment bible" around the world when ordinary people and vets need advice on how to treat a bird injured by a cat, how to help a hedgehog that has worms or a dehydrated grass snake.

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Young grass snake

The 330-page book contains detailed explanations of the treatments, along with photos and helpful background advice, which is the result of the copious notes made by Stocker and his and his staff about what works and what does not.

Les Stocker says: If you've got a passion for something, you learn about it. An animal will fight for life, if you give it a chance. It's the same as with a human casualty. And when you see the bird or animal go off into the wild when it's better, you feel as if you've really achieved something.

While he can be so proud of what he has achieved, Les Stocker feels that there is still a long way to go: I'm disappointed that no one else has built a wildlife hospital like ours in the U.K.

He estimates that every year in Britain five million wild animals are injured or fall ill and although there is a larger network of wildlife rescue centres around the country that work with St Tiggywinkles, there is still not enough help for injured wildlife. The few wildlife hospitals that exist abroad are all far smaller than St Tiggywinkles.

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Young European polecat

Les originally trained as an accountant but he started to learn photography in the early 1970s . Initially he worked in black and white specialising in the small invertebrates.

As St Tiggywinkles grew so did Les's experience resulting in best selling books on the subject of the Hospital and many international magazine articles, all illustrated with his superb photographs now evolving into full colour.

All the photos on this lens, with the exception of the photo in the introductory module, were taken by Les and are available from AllPosters.com. Any photos/posters bought will benefit St Tiggywinkles.

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Otter

1990 - The Rolex Award for Enterprise
This international programme promotes original projects in the fields of science, technology, exploration, the environment and cultural heritage. Sue Stocker said: ""Rolex was the first to recognise our work" and the award was influential in raising Les Stocker's reputation internationally

1992 - Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
Awarded by Queen Elizabeth II

2002 - Honorary Associateship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
The citation states Stocker: has probably done more to improve the quality of veterinary care for [wildlife] species than anyone else in the country. The citation also records that he had presented papers and speeches on the need for wildlife care to the European Parliament, the British Veterinary Zoological Society, the British Veterinary Nursing Association and the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association.

When the purpose built hospital first opened, visitors were not allowed. You handed over your cardboard box and that was it. I think this was all part of Les Stocker's need just to be left alone to get on with the serious task of healing and rehabilitating the animals.

However, partly from the need to raise funds and partly from the recognition that visitors will raise awareness of the work they are doing, St Tiggywinkles now has a Visitor Centre.

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Young fox

The Visitor Centre is designed principally to provide education and information about the hospital's work. CCTV, interpretation boards, leaflets and videos are used to show visitors the type of animals that are treated and the history of the hospital.

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Young badger

There is also a wildlife sanctuary that gives the animals who cannot be returned to the wild a chance to live a near natural, but protected life.

During the Spring and Summer visitors can also see into the nursery areas and watch staff hand rearing some of the thousands of orphaned birds and mammals that are cared for every year.

Les Stocker shows no sign of wanting to stop work despite approaching retirement age. A trust has been put in place to ensure that St Tiggywinkles continues after his death. It's here forever, Stocker says.

When the subject of retirement was broached, he said: I enjoy this too much. What can you replace this with? Bowling? Knitting?

Mrs Tiggy-Winkle, is a hedgehog and a washerwoman who finds some handkerchiefs belonging to a little girl called Lucie.

The author, Beatrix Potter, was born in London in 1866 to a wealthy family. They would holiday in Scotland and in the Lake District, which gave Beatrix the love of the countryside and animals, that she shares with Les Stocker.

Rabbits, mice and hedgehogs became pets, and long hours spent studying and drawing them turned her into an accomplished artist. The stories are somewhat lacking in plot but are loved by young children all over the world.

I live about 45 minutes drive from St Tiggywinkles. I know it is 45 minutes because I have made the journey twice.

Back in the late 80s I had five cats. A strange choice of pet for someone who loves to see birds in their garden, I know! And with five of them, you are bound to get a couple of voracious hunters.

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My favourite gardenbird
Young long tailed tit
We see lots of these now we don't have cats!

I can't remember which cat it was that I grabbed by the scruff on the neck and shook so fiercely that it had no choice but the spit out the soggy ball of feathers it was trying to hang on to. It was not a pretty sight.

A male blackbird. The cat's teeth had made small punctures in several places on its body, but the worst thing was the wing. One of the broken bones was sticking out and I was surprised when the bird opened its eyes and looked at me. It tried to stand up on my hand and obviously still had some fight left in it, as it tried to flutter its way to freedom. I held it as gently as I could, managed to find a box, threw a towel in it and put the bird inside, closing the lid. I knew the darkness would soothe the bird. But what to do with it?

I knew I could take it to the local vet, where it would undoubtedly be humanely put to sleep, but I thought no, I wanted to save it. It was my cat that had caught it and I felt so bad about it. I could not look after it myself but I knew enough that it would need expert care if it was to have a chance of survival and it would need some anti-biotics very quickly - a cat's saliva is lethal to birds.

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Young Blackbird

I had heard about St Tiggywinkles due to all the hedgehog awareness campaigns and gave them a call. Yes, bring it to us said the man on the phone and we will see what we can do. It was dark by the time I left and the road between here and Aylesbury is not a fast one, but we found the place OK. It was just a normal house, in a normal cul de sac. I rang the doorbell and Les opened it. He took the box from me, said they would do their best and if the bird survived but could not be released he would keep it in the large aviary he had in his back garden. No, I could not phone to see how the bird was doing, because otherwise the phone would not stop ringing and they needed to keep the line clear for emergencies. And that was that!

Les Stocker was what I would call "focussed" - he knew what he was trying to do and he wanted to be allowed to just get on with it. He certainly had no time for what you might call "niceties" and if you will pardon the pun, I think he ruffled quite a few feathers in the early days. Unsurprisingly he left fundraising to his wife Sue and his son Colin.

The next time I went to St Tiggywinkles with a casualty (another bird), the new hospital had opened. A very pleasant staff member took my box from me and said of course I could telephone to find out how the patient was doing but sadly, when I called the next day it had died.

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Young robin

Our next casualty was a hedgehog. A youngster out during the day and no Mum to be seen. By this time a "hedgehog network" had been established and a local lady collected the suspected orphan and would care for it for a few hours while she collected other hedgehogs ready for the daily "oggy run" to St Tiggywinkles.

More recently all our local vets seem to have links with people who will care for injured wildlife and providing the animal does not have to be immediately put to sleep when you take it to them, they will make arrangements for the animal to be collected. Things have certainly changed in the last 20 years and it is all due to Les Stocker.

Not only does the hospital treat animals but it also educates people on how to create a safer environment for the wildlife around them. The website offers factsheets on a variety of topics including:

Hedgehogs

Owls

Garden hazards

Nestboxes

Fledglings

Moles

Frogs and toads

Bats

Helping wild birds in your garden

The hospital also offers training in animal care through its apprenticeship scheme and up to 20 students can be found at any time studying and working at the hospital on a 12-month government-accredited course in animal welfare. St Tiggywinkles also has links with universities, such as Bristol University in England, whose researchers are given access to the animal patients at the hospital, providing an invaluable resource for scientists who need to study wildlife close up.

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