What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 6pm Tuesday 8am - 6pm Wednesday 8am - 6pm Thursday 8am - 6pm Friday 8am - 6pm Saturday 8am - 6pm Sunday 8am - 6pm

Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary

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Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary

Providing a rescue, rehabilitation & release service for wild animals in the North East. We care for over 4000 animals every year.

Charity CIO: 1185213

Donation BACs Details:
Name: Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary
SC: 55-81-14
Account no: 86365916

Thank you for your support Registered Charity CIO No: 1185213
We are open 8am till 6pm every day, 365 days a year to rescue and care for all sick, injured and orphaned wildlife from Yorkhire, Country Durham and Redcar & Cleveland.

07/06/2026

🎉💚 What a Fantastic First Day! 💚🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who visited and supported our Pop-Up Shop at Abbey Wharf Market yesterday!

We're delighted to share that £373.45 was raised on our opening day! 🛍️🐾

This total includes donations from our little honesty box, which has been sitting outside the shop over the last couple of weeks while we've been busy setting up and getting everything ready. Every coin and note dropped in has helped support both our rebuilding efforts and the wildlife in our care.

After everything we've been through following the fire, seeing people continue to support us means more than we can put into words. Whether you made a purchase, left a donation, shared our posts or simply stopped by to wish us well, thank you.

⚠️ A quick reminder: We are still getting our Wi-Fi and card machine set up (a tad tricky in the markets!), so for now cash is king! If you're planning to visit over the coming days, please remember to bring cash with you. Nearest ATM is at Toymaster, at the other end of Sandgate.

Every pound raised helps us continue rescuing, rehabilitating and releasing wildlife while we work towards reopening our Flowergate shop.

📍 Unit 8, Abbey Wharf Market, Whitby

Thank you for helping us turn a difficult chapter into a positive new beginning. We can't wait to welcome more visitors over the coming weeks. 💚

💚🦔🦊🦉🐦

06/06/2026

We are aware of yet another false story circulating on social media regarding our rescue.

The claims made are completely untrue. No individual was turned away with three gull chicks, and no such incident has occurred. We have no record of the events described and no member of our team is aware of any incident matching the allegations being made.

Unfortunately, this latest fabrication appears to originate from the same individuals who have targeted, trolled and harassed the charity, its volunteers and its supporters for several years. This is not an isolated incident but part of a long-running pattern of false allegations, abusive communications and attempts to damage the reputation of both the charity and those associated with it.

A substantial dossier of evidence relating to this ongoing harassment was submitted to the police previously, and we continue to document and retain evidence of further incidents as they occur.

We will not be drawn into online arguments. Our priority remains the welfare of the animals entrusted to our care, and we will continue to focus our time and resources on rescuing, rehabilitating and caring for wildlife.

We would encourage the public to verify information before sharing it and to contact us directly if they have any genuine questions or concerns.

If anyone has witnessed similar behaviour, received communications, seen fake or anonymous profiles being used, or has screenshots or other evidence relating to the ongoing harassment of the charity and its members, we would be grateful if you could contact us privately. All information will be treated confidentially and may assist us in building a clearer picture of the activities involved.

Thank you to everyone who continues to support our work and, most importantly, the animals that depends on us.

05/06/2026

Happy Friday everyone ☀️

It is a glorious day here at Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary and some of our residents are here to show you what a wonderful day they are having. One of our fab volunteers has captured some of the magic here perfectly 🌟 📸

Thank you for supporting us and the work that we do. It wouldn’t be possible without your support. 💚

05/06/2026

🧽✨ A Small Job That Makes a Big Difference! ✨🧽

Today we finally tackled the shop front windows and gave them a much-needed clean so our new banner can be clearly seen by everyone passing by.

The banner directs customers to our Pop-Up Shop at Abbey Wharf Market, which is where you'll find us while repair work continues at our fire-damaged Flowergate premises.

📍 Unit 8, Abbey Wharf Market, Whitby, YO22 4DD

🛍️ Our Pop-Up Shop opens tomorrow, packed with bargains, gifts, snuggles and much more. Every purchase directly supports the rescue, rehabilitation and release of local wildlife.

If you're in Whitby, please pop in and say hello. Your support means the world to us and helps keep our rescue running while we continue rebuilding.

Thank you to everyone who has continued supporting us through this difficult period. We couldn't do it without you. 💚

🦔🦊🦉💚

04/06/2026

🐾 Home Wanted for a Special Little Lady 🐾

Could you offer this beautiful young girl the forever home she deserves?

At just 7 months old, Emmy is a stunning tuxedo cat is full of personality. She is friendly, affectionate and loves human company, but she's also a typical youngster with lots of energy, enthusiasm and a playful streak!

✅ Neutered
✅ Vaccinated
✅ Being microchipped
✅ Affectionate and confident
✅ Loves attention and playtime

She is looking for a home where her playful nature will be appreciated. Because she can be quite boisterous, she would be best suited to a home without very young children.

She currently doesn't get along with the older resident cats in her home, but this may simply be because her energy levels are too much for them. She could potentially live with another young, playful cat of a similar age, subject to careful introductions and a successful trial.

This lovely girl has so much love to give and deserves a family who can match her zest for life.

If you think you could offer her the perfect home, please get in touch with us for more information. Please share to help us find her forever family. ❤️🐾

🐱💕

03/06/2026

🎉 WE OPEN THIS SATURDAY! 🎉

As we prepare to open the doors to our Whitby Wildlife Pop-Up Charity Shop, at Unit 8, Abbey Wharf Markets, we wanted to share a long-awaited update on our Flowergate shop following the devastating fire.

After more than two months of waiting, assessments, and investigations, the landlord's insurance has finally accepted liability and has agreed to move forward with the repairs. This is a huge step forward and gives us hope that our much-loved Flowergate shop will eventually be able to reopen.

Whilst this is fantastic news, the reality is that repairs will still take time, and we continue to face the financial impact of losing one of our most important sources of income.

That's where our Pop-Up Shop comes in.

Every item donated, every volunteer hour given, and every purchase made will help us continue caring for sick, injured and orphaned wildlife whilst we wait for Flowergate to return.

The pop up shop will provide vital funds for:
🦔 Wildlife rescue and rehabilitation
🦉 Food, medication and veterinary care
🦊 Daily running costs of the sanctuary
🐦 Caring for the thousands of animals that rely on us every year

This video gives you a little sneak peek around the shop as our wonderful volunteers put the finishing touches in place ahead of opening day. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated, volunteered or supported us along the way.

💚 We can't wait to welcome you through the doors this Saturday.

Together, you're helping us continue saving wildlife when they needsl us most.

30/05/2026

🦔🦅🐦 A Busy Day at Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary 🐦🦅🦔

Today has been another incredibly busy day for our rescue team.

📞 57 calls were received by the sanctuary team.

🚑 21 new wildlife admissions arrived into our care, including tiny nestling birds needing round-the-clock feeds, young blackbirds, gull into quarantine, and beautiful ducklings requiring specialist care.

💚 Our amazing volunteer rescue network responded to 13 call-outs, collecting and transporting injured, orphaned and sick wildlife from across the region and helping get them safely to us for treatment.

Every admission represents an animal that would likely not have survived without intervention, and every rescue involves a huge team effort behind the scenes.

From preparing feeds and medications, cleaning enclosures, monitoring patients, transporting casualties, answering phones and supporting the public, our volunteers work tirelessly every single day.

How can you help?

🐾 Become a volunteer on our rescue & transport team - message us if you are interested.
🐾 Join one of our support teams - animal care, general maintenance or fundraising - all essential. Message us if you are interested.
🐾 Donate towards food, medications and veterinary care.
𝐍𝐚𝐦𝐞: 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐛𝐲 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲
𝐒𝐂: 𝟓𝟓-𝟖𝟏-𝟏𝟒
𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐨: 𝟖𝟔𝟑𝟔𝟓𝟗𝟏𝟔
TEXT: WHITBY to 70460 to donate £5 (standard network rates apply)
🐾 Purchase from our Amazon wish list: https://amzn.eu/0c3f0vLr . We have just updated it to include items we are beginning to run low on.
🐾 Share our posts to help us reach more people
🐾 Leave a donation via our website or via the links in comments.

As wildlife admissions continue to increase, your support has never been more important.

Thank you to everyone who donates, volunteers, rescues, transports, attends events, fundraises and helps us give wildlife a second chance.

Together, you're helping save lives every single day. 💚

🦔🦅🐦💚

29/05/2026

🦡 A Night to Remember 🦡

Last night was a big one.

After spending time in our care recovering from injuries, this young badger finally decided it was time to venture out and begin the next chapter of its journey.

Released at an undisclosed location, with an artificial sett built for such cases, around 11:30pm there was plenty of sniffing, investigating and second-guessing. Like many wild animals, confidence doesn't come instantly! After several hours of coming and going, watching and waiting, he finally headed off shortly before 3am.

Watching these moments never gets old. Rehabilitation is about far more than healing physical injuries – it's about giving animals the opportunity to regain their confidence and return to living as nature intended.

As we monitored the cameras throughout the night, it was fantastic to see other similarly aged badgers moving through the area too. This youngster arrived with injuries consistent with having been ousted from a sett, so seeing signs of other badgers nearby to the artificially built sett was particularly encouraging.

We know that release is never the end of the story, but rather the beginning of a new one. Every animal that returns to the wild reminds us why the long days, sleepless nights and endless dedication are worth it.

Thank you to everyone who supports our work. Every rescued animal, every feed, every veterinary bill and every late-night camera check is made possible because of your support.

To set up a regular donation;
Name: Whitby Wildlife Sanctuary
SC: 55-81-14
Account no: 86365916

Enjoy this special footage from a very important night. ❤️🦡

28/05/2026

💔 In Memory of Betty 💔

Yesterday we said goodbye to one of our oldest and most loved residents, Betty.

Betty arrived with us in December 2017 as a tiny sick orphaned lamb needing intensive care and endless bottles. What was meant to be a rescue quickly turned into 9 wonderful years with a sheep full of personality, attitude and love.

Over the years Betty became part of the heart of the sanctuary. Many volunteers will remember her and, I have to be honest here, her grumpy face, low bleet and stubborness.

Five years ago she surprised us all by becoming mum to Primrose and Violet — two beautiful girls who still live with us.

In recent months Betty had been struggling with age-related hip and mobility problems. Despite vet visits, we were quite aware she was looking her age. Yesterday we found she had passed away quite peacefully in the field shelter.

Although our focus today is primarily wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, rescuing livestock was a huge part of our history and how our sanctuary first began. While we no longer actively take in farm animals, we remain committed to giving lifelong care and sanctuary to our existing small flock of 8 sheep, 2 goats and 5 pigs — animals like Betty, who have spent so many years as part of our family.

Farm animals are often overlooked, but Betty was family to us, and her loss is deeply felt by the whole team.

Thank you to everybody who helped care for her over the years and loved her as much as we did.

Run free beautiful girl 🌈🐑💔

26/05/2026

🩺 Wildlife Rescue Round-Up 🩺

From tiny hatchlings needing feeds around the clock…
to growing fledglings learning to perch…
to exhausted fox cubs finally getting a safe place to rest 🦊💚

It’s been another incredibly busy week here at the rescue.

Every patient that comes through our doors requires time, specialist care, medication, cleaning, feeding and constant monitoring — and during baby season that workload increases massively.

These photos are just a small glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes:
🐣 Hatchlings needing intensive care feeds
🐦 Young insect-eating birds learning to self-feed
🦊 Fox cubs receiving rehabilitation and care
❤️ And a dedicated team working tirelessly every single day

Thank you to everybody who continues to support us through donations, supplies, volunteering, transport help and kind words. We genuinely could not do this without you all.

Ways you can help right now:
🦗 Donate livefood such as mealworms and waxworms. Our amazon wish list: https://amzn.eu/0c3f0vLr
🐱 Cat food (especially kitten food and pate)
🧻 Kitchen roll, puppy pads and cleaning supplies
🧤 Disposable gloves
🍼 Volunteer help with cleaning, feeding and transport - message us if you are interested!
💷 Monetary donations towards medication, food and rehabilitation costs. https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/9517
📣 Sharing our posts helps more than people realise

Wildlife season is far from over… but neither are we 💚🐾

Address

Broomfields Farm
Whitby
YO224NW

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 6pm
Tuesday	8am - 6pm
Wednesday	8am - 6pm
Thursday	8am - 6pm
Friday	8am - 6pm
Saturday	8am - 6pm
Sunday	8am - 6pm

Telephone

+447342173724

Website

https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/9517, http://www.whitbywildlife.co.uk/

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