The Shame of Secret World -A 'Wildlife Rescue' That Has Crossed The Line

I am sorry to say that after a number of years a line has been crossed that, in my opinion, shows that Secret World, Somerset, does not live up to what it claims:

Our vision

To prevent British wildlife suffering needlessly and inspire in everyone an understanding and love of wildlife and the countryside.

I have tried repeatedly to get cooperation going with them but it seems that a very bad attitude and stance to other rescuers or wildlife workers began at some point and rudeness and pettiness are common place.

 I was told some 2-3 years ago that someone telephoned Secret World about a fox with a leg injury. That person was told: "We would have to trap it and policy is any leg injury the animal is put to sleep (PTS".   I was asked if that was right but supposed the person had misunderstood.

About a week later someone else contacted me about a fox with a leg injury. They had telephoned Secret World and was told: "We would have to trap it and policy is any leg injury the animal is put to sleep (PTS."

A couple of months later my brother visited and knows little about the fox work but mentioned that there was a vixen that came into their garden and it had an injured twisted leg. They contacted Secret World. Guess what Secret World told him?  "We would have to trap it and policy is any leg injury the animal is put to sleep (PTS."  incidentally, that vixen has had a couple of litters and she still has the deformed leg but keeps even her adult offspring in their place.

Obviously I had to see what was going on and so I telephoned Secret World and stated that I had a fox with a bad limp visiting my garden (I didn't of course).  "We would have to trap it and policy is any leg injury the animal is put to sleep (PTS."  So I asked "What if it's just a pulled muscle or bad sprain?" The reply, and absolutely no mishearing: "It would be put down. Any leg injuries that is standard operating policy". It was confirmed to my own ears.

Months later I had a fox visit the garden with severe mange and it looked very unwell. SW actually did send someone and I showed him the photos I had taken of the fox so he could see its condition and explained that with temperatures to drop to -4 in the next day or so it needed catching to treat or whatever. "Ah, we have a trap but it might attract attention so we won't try to trap it" and that was ridiculous as to get to my house you have to walk along a quiet lane and  my back garden is enclosed on all sides. I was given about 6 small (saccharine sized) tablets and told "give it these and let nature take its course" and with that he, and the younger fella with him walked off. The fox died.

Constantly Secret World were telling people that their fox pens were up to capacity (word from people working there stated there were no foxes at the centre) and that they had one ambulance stationed at Bridgewater so could not help. This was repeated to me by someone in the last couple of weeks who (apart from being very insulting about my work) told me "We have one ambulance in Bridgewater which is where it is stationed if you understand" and the call back from this person was equally pointless.

A man had a fox visiting his garden that was fairly inactive and had laboured breathing and he contacted Secret World who told him that they could not help. End of story. He managed to find the Bristol Fox Lady, Sarah Mills' details and along with Fox Angels Foundation it was decided to treat it for 5 days then trap and take to Vale Wildlife in Oxfordshire which was a long journey but Secret World was not an option. The treatment worked and the fox has now recovered fully.

It was only in 2021 that another wildlife rescue asked what part of the country I was in and when I told them the response was "Oh, the PTS Centre is your local one" and I actually defended Secret World. Then checking on some things with other wildlife centres I found they all referred to Secret World as "The PTS Centre" and that any fox going there was not going to live long.

This was all raising concerns. Sarah Mills is a competent trained rescuer and has had call outs from Secret World yet no one contacted her to tell her about the foxes that needed checking on. They were quite happy for foxes to suffer and die. That was unbelievable. I knew the centre when its founder Pauline Kidner was in charge and wildlife was a priority. 

Despite asking Secret World to cooperate in the Bristol Fox and Badger death projects and other fox work since 2019 they have refused. There is also something I was very unhappy with and that is that Secret World asked that any fox bought in have a note from a vet stating that it could be put down. THAT shocked me.   

Then we had fundraising using a dead fox. No joke.

Sarah Mills had rescued a fox and the vet that saw it recommended that it needed a few days recuperation having just had a piece of broken cooked bone stuck in its gum.  We were told, this was a Bristol Fox Project fox submitted, the fox was doing fine on Friday. On Saturday "It's been put down for neurological reasons". A shock but then even getting the fox to submit it for a post mortem was fraught with refusal by Secret World to cooperate but we got it in the end.

Now, imagine seeing, SEVEN days after the fox was allegedly PTS the photo of the same fox and a post on Secret Worlds Face Book page telling how greatly they were treating the fox that 'they' rescued and it was currently recovering in a nice warm pen. Yes; the dead fox was alive and well and recovering so...what fox had we submitted?  I asked Secret World if this was a mix up in foxes and explained that the fox shown they had told us was put down and now awaiting post mortem?  No response so I made the point and asked the question on the FB page itself where people had donated to take care of the fox. Later in the day the post was taken down. No apology. No explanation.  Luckily I had supplied the pathologist with enough case details to confirm the fox that underwent post mortem was ours.

There is much more but how bad does a supposed wildlife rescue have to sink to be known by others around the country as the "PTS Centre"??

And now we come to the final straw.  On the 27th March a disabled woman phoned Secret World as a vixen had obviously been unable to get to anywhere safe and had cubs under an exposed garden table. The area was flooded and the woman explained the situation but was told the fox would take one cub at a time and jump over the fence to get them to safety. Despite it sounding like the vixen was utterly exhausted Secret World told the woman to leave her side gate open for the fox to exit. This was a vulnerable person who was expected to leave her gate open overnight.   Secret World was not interested and, again, did not even suggest the lady contact Sarah Mills.

Today, 28th, Sarah visited the site and the vixen looked weak and had two living cubs near her (we hope they survive the night) and further away from the vixen three others dead...until one squeaked. Sarah checked and then revived the cub and is currently feeding the weak cub before taking it to an actual wildlife centre, The Vale in Oxfordshire. The table has been covered as best as could be and we wait to see how the vixen and surviving cubs do but the outlook for the cubs is not good.

The death of these cubs is squarely on Secret World's hands. They refused to offer any help and even knowing that Sarah was on call all day refused to give out her phone number. That is not what a genuine wildlife rescue does.

The following are photographs of the scene that met Sarah and the cub she managed to revive. Believe me, I have had to severely restrict the language I want to use.

--------------------------------------------------update---------------------------------

I spoke with Sarah this morning and the cub woke up for food every three hours, peed and poo'd then went back to sleep. Had it not make that tiny squeak when the other two were being put into a plastic carrier for disposal then it would not now be on its way to Vale Wildlife Hospital which is further than Secret World but at least we know it will be safe and looked after.

During the night the vixen vanished for two hours which led the the thought that the two out of five left had also died. However, on checking the vixen had taken the two cubs after what must have been a stressful birth.  Incidentally, the lady whose garden this took place in was told by Secret World that the side gate had to be left open as "foxes cannot jump or climb over fences"!  That is the most stupid remark I have heard from a supposed rescue on foxes -foxes are known to climb trees, they get up on garage and even house rooves. 

As it stands vixen has the two largest cubs, Vale will soon have one and two were lost.

Photos taken at the scene; the first is the sight that greeted Sarah on arrival three dead cubs soaked and cold -one, however was clinging on to life and only appeared dead.

(c)2024 Sarah Mills/Bristol Fox Lady

(c)2024 Sarah Mills/Bristol Fox Lady

A cat litter tray and some old blankets were put under the exposed table for vixen and remaining two cubs to keep them out of the flooded ground. Tarpaulin was then put over the table to keep out the worst of the weather.

(c)2024 Sarah Mills/Bristol Fox Lady

The sad sight of the two cubs that did not make it.

(c)2024 Sarah Mills/Bristol Fox Lady

Below the third cub was thought to be dead but as it was picked up for disposal it squeaked and was revived.

(c)2024 Sarah Mills/Bristol Fox Lady

The surviving cub.

(c)2024 Sarah Mills/Bristol Fox Lady

20th April, 2024

Secret World and this time they have crossed a line by telling a caller to "under no circumstances allow Sarah Mills to take the badger cubs" that Sarah had gotten to before them and checked over and put into a place of safety after cats had chased and attacked and with a nearby road. SW needs to be aware that what was said is classed as slanderous: "a spoken statement) false and malicious."

Now let's look at some facts from the bulging file on SW.

SW has so far refused to attend foxes with severe breathing problems and various wounds and even told people to leave cubs in a flooded area to basically die. They refuse to use any of their parked up three ambulances for Bristol.

There would be a lot of dead foxes were it not for Sarah's work -foxes SW would normally put to sleep as the easy way.

We have the video footage sent to SW of a fox having difficulty breathing. It looked bad but SW said "No. We can't help it". Did they suggest the caller contact Sarah Mills? No. The caller found her details online and Sarah discussed the case with Fox Angels Foundation and then myself and we all agreed that it would be treated in situ for five days and that would give it a fighting chance but if still alive after that and in a bad way -it would be trap and take to Vale wildlife hospital for assessment and treating. Treating the fox with the help of the property owner saw the fox recover and it is now in the best of health. SW would have let it die.

Now look at the photo below. This was sent by a distraught woman to SW and she asked for help. No interest. In the end, probably because the woman was in such a state SW told her: "We can post a trap to you but it will take a few days because of the courier". On that day (confirmed) SW had three animal ambulances parked up. Send a trap "in the post"...I am lost for words. How is the woman supposed to know how to set a trap up and follow legal regulations on trapping -was she supposed to send the fox to SW in the trap and via a courier? Sadly, although the woman found Sarah Mills' details the fox moved on. Probably infected wound and death because Secret World would not answer a call out to a fox (again) or forward Sarah's details which they have.

Again; look at the wound and ask what kind of wildlife rescue would lkook at this and just shrug without caring or choking on the words: "To prevent British wildlife suffering needlessly and inspire in everyone an understanding and love of wildlife and the countryside."

That sickens me and I thought I had seen some bad establishments in 50 years of wildlife work.

(c)British Fox and Canid Study

And here is another thing -the bullying. The Bristol Foxes and Badgers Group on Face Book had several SW staffers on it. One day a senior staffer joined out of the blue and within two days all the staffers were gone. I was told privately; "We were told to come off the group or else"

Unfortunately ex staffers just know no one will listen to them and most write their time there as a bad memory to put behind them. Here are a selection of comments (others have seen them to note they are genuine):

"I was told a few years ago by two loyal long term SW volunteers (sadly both now deceased) that when it was handed over to the New Trustees things changed hugely and not for the better. I remember one of their open days, not that many people in attendance but the new Trustees insisted an ambulance and paramedic be paid to attend the event all day, a huge  expense that could’ve been used elsewhere and unnecessary for such a small event .!"

"It used to be a lovely place to work but then the trustees took over and the regime with senior staff was bullying, So many calls in Bristol not responded to because 'we don't want to travel that far' so no idea what happened to the animals reported"

"It went from treating foxes to pts because it was easier. Asking people to get a note from any vet that treated a fox with permission to pts was standard ands cut corners"

"I left because I wanted to help wildlife not put it all down"

And something else I heard about confirmed and here it beggars the question of badgers removed from generational setts where were they going to be released that is not a cull area?

"I had issues with them when they tried to essentially kidnap my badgers who were being treated. Long story but had it not been for the determination of Somerset Badger Group I don’t know if they would have come home."

If you donate to Secret World then that is up to you but do not have any fantasy that they are going to go out of their way to help foxes or be nice to anyone -their head of reception when I spoke to her over the phone about a dead badger personally insulted me as an amateur with "no network of contacts or local knowledge" (I was quite seriously doing this before she was born) and she actually asked for confirmation at one point before that if I was the Terry Hooper of Bristol Foxes and Badgers so she knew she was deliberately insulting.

Wildlife rescuing should be about the wildlife and not bullying tin-pot dictators and their egos. I asked SW from the very outset of the Bristol Fox Deaths Project to cooperate and I would update them on results as I got them. No. We should all be working to help treat and preserve the wildlife we have and I do not give two craps about getting credit so long as the animals are helped.

To my world-wide audience of this blog and social medias; now you know why other wildlife rescues call Secret World the "Put To Sleep Centre".