Steve Smith

Anything you can find in the wild in the UK, we treat here at the hospital.

Anything you can find in the wild in the UK, we treat here at the hospital.

Yeah, Miss T. Winkle was one of the Beatrix Potter characters, so a very, very famous hedgehog. And the hospital started off looking after sick and injured wild hedgehogs, so I think that's where we got the name from way back around 45 years ago.

Yeah, Miss T. Winkle was one of the Beatrix Potter characters, so a very, very famous hedgehog. And the hospital started off looking after sick and injured wild hedgehogs, so I think that's where we got the name from way back around 45 years ago.

Well, we certainly see lots of hedgehogs. How many have you counted before Louise?

Well, we certainly see lots of hedgehogs. How many have you counted before Louise?

They're much-loved wild animals in the UK.

They're much-loved wild animals in the UK.

He had a badly broken forearm. So luckily, I have a small plating kit where he was able to use this absolutely tiny equipment, these microsurgical tools, to be able to put this toad back together again. And, you know, this toad then happily was implanted in his forelimb.

He had a badly broken forearm. So luckily, I have a small plating kit where he was able to use this absolutely tiny equipment, these microsurgical tools, to be able to put this toad back together again. And, you know, this toad then happily was implanted in his forelimb.

And they found it by the roadside, and they sort of didn't know what it was, so they're wondering whether they should pick it up. He didn't look particularly well. He was sort of stranded by the roadside, not flying away. And so we had the call, and it sort of came down to the clinical team, to the veterinary team, and saying there's an exotic orange bird. And

And they found it by the roadside, and they sort of didn't know what it was, so they're wondering whether they should pick it up. He didn't look particularly well. He was sort of stranded by the roadside, not flying away. And so we had the call, and it sort of came down to the clinical team, to the veterinary team, and saying there's an exotic orange bird. And

To my knowledge, there's certainly no exotic wild orange birds in the UK and even escaped pet birds. Orange is not a very common color for a bird. So it sort of made us scratch our heads a little bit, but we were kind of like, no problem. If you can catch the bird, fine, then bring it along and we'll have a look.

To my knowledge, there's certainly no exotic wild orange birds in the UK and even escaped pet birds. Orange is not a very common color for a bird. So it sort of made us scratch our heads a little bit, but we were kind of like, no problem. If you can catch the bird, fine, then bring it along and we'll have a look.

We had no idea from the phone call for sure. So it was quite exciting. It was quite a stir while we were waiting for it to arrive at the hospital. So, no, we were all sort of taking bets and discussing what it could be.

We had no idea from the phone call for sure. So it was quite exciting. It was quite a stir while we were waiting for it to arrive at the hospital. So, no, we were all sort of taking bets and discussing what it could be.

They caught the bird up in their jacket, put it in their car, in their car boot, and then drove it straight to the hospital.

They caught the bird up in their jacket, put it in their car, in their car boot, and then drove it straight to the hospital.

The triage nurse, we have a nursing team that were on triage, they went down to the reception and grabbed the coat, brought it down to the triage room. And so when we opened up, this bird flapped out, perfectly fine and bright. And indeed, it was a really large orange bird. But very quickly, we realized, actually, this is a herring gull.

The triage nurse, we have a nursing team that were on triage, they went down to the reception and grabbed the coat, brought it down to the triage room. And so when we opened up, this bird flapped out, perfectly fine and bright. And indeed, it was a really large orange bird. But very quickly, we realized, actually, this is a herring gull.

So this is one of our normal gulls that we have, one of our large gulls, and this is a herring gull covered in this orange substance.

So this is one of our normal gulls that we have, one of our large gulls, and this is a herring gull covered in this orange substance.

When we touched the bird and you got this powder on your fingers and sniffed it, you could tell it was obviously the bird, the smell, not the jacket or anything.

When we touched the bird and you got this powder on your fingers and sniffed it, you could tell it was obviously the bird, the smell, not the jacket or anything.

That smelled like curry. Yeah, the whole hospital smelled of curry powder. You came through the door and you felt like someone was cooking. So it was, yeah, really pungent.

That smelled like curry. Yeah, the whole hospital smelled of curry powder. You came through the door and you felt like someone was cooking. So it was, yeah, really pungent.

Well, that's a really good question. We were discussing that ourselves. So we assumed maybe a big catering plant or one of the big factories that make crisps or curry or seasoning. And they have these big drums and we think a drum may have been left uncovered and he probably got trapped in there. And in the process of trying to get out, this got completely covered in the powder.

Well, that's a really good question. We were discussing that ourselves. So we assumed maybe a big catering plant or one of the big factories that make crisps or curry or seasoning. And they have these big drums and we think a drum may have been left uncovered and he probably got trapped in there. And in the process of trying to get out, this got completely covered in the powder.

Yeah, the bird was bright, was alert, didn't have any gastrointestinal signs and was clearly behaving normally despite some sort of misadventure previously. So we have a washing protocol and you bath them in a nice hot bath with washing up liquid and basically you have to sit there for... probably 40 minutes to an hour washing each feather to try and get the substance off.

Yeah, the bird was bright, was alert, didn't have any gastrointestinal signs and was clearly behaving normally despite some sort of misadventure previously. So we have a washing protocol and you bath them in a nice hot bath with washing up liquid and basically you have to sit there for... probably 40 minutes to an hour washing each feather to try and get the substance off.

And so you sort of do that as long as the bird tolerates it.

And so you sort of do that as long as the bird tolerates it.

They are not friendly birds. They probably have the most attitude of any of the birds we see. So especially herring gulls, which is one of our bigger types of gull.

They are not friendly birds. They probably have the most attitude of any of the birds we see. So especially herring gulls, which is one of our bigger types of gull.

He didn't enjoy his bath, so it certainly gave us quite the runaround when we were trying to do it. You should see the injuries on the hands from him nipping the nurses and us from the bath.

He didn't enjoy his bath, so it certainly gave us quite the runaround when we were trying to do it. You should see the injuries on the hands from him nipping the nurses and us from the bath.

By the sixth bath, he did not appreciate it any more than the first, and was learning all the tricks to try and avoid us.

By the sixth bath, he did not appreciate it any more than the first, and was learning all the tricks to try and avoid us.

Ready, steady, go!

Ready, steady, go!