Animal magic

Thousands of maltreated and injured creatures, great and small, are restored to health each year at the National Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fife

It’s usually the plight of red squirrels and wildcats that makes the headlines, but the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (the Scottish SPCA), makes it its business to protect all creatures, great and small. A state-of-the-art National Wildlife Rescue Centre near Alloa provides the facilities, while the animal welfare charity’s hard-working Above: Colin Seddon, the centre manager, cares for an injured seal. Top right: Three little orphaned ducks. Right: A baby blackbird at feeding time. team takes care of everything from injured sea eagles to orphaned hedgehogs.

The Scottish SPCA has come a long way since starting up in Edinburgh in 1839 with the aim of improving the lot of the working horse. It was not until 1930 that the first rescue centre was opened, near Balerno, providing facilities for the recuperation of draft horses and ponies.