South Essex Wildlife Hospital's animals rescued this year

Founded by Sue Schwar, the dedicated charity has rescued dozens of animals this year, nursing some for months before releasing them back into the wild.

Most recently the animal hospital, in Orsett Road, Grays, shared the incredible recovery of their "head injury fox" - who looks almost unrecognisable after almost three weeks of care.

He has gained hundreds of supporters on social media rooting for his recovery (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)The male fox arrived in their care with an extensive head wound and bite injuries to his neck and lower jaw, after being found by a member of the public. 

Thanks to lead vet Tom's skills and determination, despite being "far from out of the woods" mere weeks ago, now you would not believe just how bad his injuries were. As he is recovering well from dental surgery, this fox is nearing his release date.

May through to September is arguably the busiest time for South Essex Wildlife Hospital, with patients increasing in numbers to the point the team can have more than 50 new casualties arriving each day.

On May 31, five great tits were shockingly extracted from the bottom of a bollard which had its finial missing. Tom actually borrowed a hoover and an extension lead from a nearby pub to rescue the trapped birds, having attempted various methods to remove them.

The four great tits who initially survived - sadly the weakest one later died at the hospital (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)

Sadly, one was already dead and the weakest bird did not survive back at the hospital. However, the remaining three were soon on the road to being rehabilitated back to the wild.

Two gulls rescued this summer (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)The hospital cared for these two gulls with avian botulism while they worked it out of their systems.

This fox got caught in netting (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)This poor fox was rescued "from the brink of death", having been caught in netting for several days.

A young kestrel recovered well at the charity's site this summer after flying into a window. Hitting glass can cause hidden injuries to birds, so the charity urges people to bring them in for a thorough examination before they are allowed to fly off.

This little guy was caught by a cat (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)

The most common causes of admission for grass snakes is being caught by cats, whose saliva contains bacteria which can cause major complications if not treated. That was the case for this guy, who was cleaned before being placed on a course of antibiotics.

One of the peregrine falcons rescued and successfully rehabilitated this year (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)This year has also been a successful one for the peregrine falcons the hospital has rescued and rehabilitated. They are the world's fastest birds. One of the young birds turned up 126 miles away in Lincoln.

As the manic summer months draw to a close, South Essex Wildlife Hospital enters its busy "orphan season". Up to 1,500 hedgehogs need the charity's help each year.

This young hedgehog was found alone with no sign of his mum (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)

While orphans are common at the hospital this time of year, mallard ducklings certainly are not (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)

A baby hare being cared for (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)Found on a golf course, while his sibling sadly died, this baby hare refused to give up and is now receiving special one-on-one care.

This common seal stole Tom's heart (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)South Essex Wildlife Hospital deals with plenty of common seals. This little one in particular stole the lead vet's heart, arriving at just two days old. The team have worked hard to keep him in perfect condition and, four months on, his release is drawing closer.

A long-eared owl was brought into the hospital recently - one of the rarest types in the UK (Image: South Essex Wildlife Hospital)Arriving after getting caught inside a glass building in Canary Wharf, London, this long-eared owl underwent a physical examination, x-ray and flight test at the hospital this week. Thankfully, no major injuries were found.

The charity credits the incredible work they do in the community largely to the support of their donors. Find out how to support them at southessexwildlife.org/donate.