Kestrel rescued from slurry pit at Sheffield farm

Animal welfare officer and specialist wildlife officer Liz Braidley was called to a pig farm in Lightwood Lane on Sunday (27 September) after staff spotted the bird of prey.

Liz said: “The poor kestrel was absolutely filthy after falling into the pig slurry pit. He was stuck around 8ft down in the pit and his feathers were completely logged with faeces.

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“When I arrived he was collapsed and was clearly exhausted from struggling in the sticky substance. He couldn’t move and certainly wouldn’t have been able to fly out of the pit on his own so he was very lucky to have been spotted.

There was nothing for it but to hold her nose and reach into the mire to rescue the stricken creature

“I managed to retrieve him and took him to a local vet for a bath. He was examined and x-rayed and, thankfully, hadn’t sustained any injuries in his ordeal,” she said.

“We kept him for a few days to monitor him and then released him back on Tuesday ( September 29). It was wonderful to see him stretch his wings and fly off.”

Anyone who sees a wild animal in distress, sick or injured should contact the RSPCA’s emergency hotline for advice on 0300 1234 999 and shouldn’t attempt a rescue themselves.

To help the RSPCA continue to rescuing animals and investigating animal cruelty, donate whatever you can spare at www.rspca.org.uk/covid.