THE DOCTOR WILL SEE YOU NOW: WHO COMES IN TO VALE AND WHY

Vale Wildlife Hospital took in 4,535 casualties in 2016, including 79 species of wild bird (and quite a few domestic ones), 27 species of mammal (including the odd domestic cat or dog), 9 species of reptile (most of them non-native and probably escaped pets such as a royal python), three species of amphibian and a goldfish.

HEDGEHOG

Number admitted: 1,014 Primary reason: Most hedgehogs brought into Vale come in during the autumn and winter and are juveniles from the year’s second litter that are underweight to cope with the coldest part of the year. Hedgehogs represent 22 per cent of all admissions to the hospital.

WILD BOAR

Number admitted: 5 Primary reason: Luckily for staff at Vale Wildlife, all the wild boar that were brought in were piglets and not adults. They all came from the Forest of Dean (where wild boar have reestablished themselves from farm stocks) and were victims of road traffic collisions.

BUZZARD

Number admitted: 73 Primary reason: Buzzards are mostly brought in after being poisoned, shot (often with an air rifle) or when they have broken a bone in one of their wings from a collision. If fractures are clean they can mend in a week or 10 days, and the animal can be returned to the wild.

MANX SHEARWATER

Number admitted: 7 Primary reason: Gloucestershire isn’t known for its Manx shearwaters – all the ones admitted to Vale Wildlife came from the coast of South Wales during the autumn when birds are supposed to be heading to Brazil for the winter, but are blown off course by strong winds.