Who We Are
Marine and Wildlife Rescue is a wildlife rescue charity collecting seals, birds of prey, songbirds, waterfowl, native reptiles, amphibians and small mammals requiring assistance in Norfolk and north Suffolk. Arranging transfer, rehabilitation and release in association with organisations such as the CVS Veterinary Group, Norfolk Wildlife Trust, Broads Authority and SeaLife Hunstanton.
Meet the Team
Dan Goldsmith
I have volunteered in wildlife rehabilitation since the age of 11. As long as I can remember I have been passionate about nature and conservation, and I have worked in that sector. The most rewarding feeling ever is releasing a fit and healthy animal back to the wild after making meticulous efforts to rehabilitate it. Helping with various local wildlife charities over the years, I established a good friendship with Bev Cosse. Bev led the Seal and Bird Rescue Trust for 20 years and I had the pleasure of getting to know her and becoming involved with the charity. Unfortunately, Bev passed away suddenly late in 2013. Myself, along with others who Bev inspired are now taking the charity forward under the new name: 'Marine and Wildlife Rescue'. We look forward to continuing the great work that she established, and rescuing wildlife casualties throughout Norfolk.
William Talbot
Living and working in the countryside and having recently graduated with a degree in Agricultural management, I have a keen interest for all things country, conservation and wildlife. From a young age I have fond memories of spending time with my grandparents, walking the marshes, checking on the cows and watching the marsh harriers. I take great pride in the knowledge of the countryside and wildlife my grandparents passed on to me. Having joined the charity in August 2019 I have been involved in rescue call-outs for seals, waterfowl, bats, and birds of prey. Every day, working with the charity is different and I look forward to what each day may bring.
Tony Chapman
Back in 2014, my wife and I moved to Caister-on-sea from Stevenage in Hertfordshire after I retired from Royal Mail as an HGV driver for many years. I had always been involved with charitable organisations in one form or another having carried out aid runs to Romania and Bosnia on several occasions. I have worked for a charitable organisation called freewheelers that used motorbikes running with blue lights and sirens to do emergency runs carrying blood, plasma, platelets, X-Rays, poisons and transplant organs to various hospitals and clinics throughout London and the south-east of England. On a personal note, I believe that if a person is going to commit themselves to the welfare and conservation of animals then education to the public is vital. After moving to the area, I became involved with seal wardening which then led me to join a seal rescue team. Within this role I met Dan and Will from MWR and I felt privileged to be asked to join Marine and Wildlife Rescue which I was very excited to accept.
Dr Elliott Simpson
Whilst growing up in rural north Norfolk, I was lucky enough to be able to volunteer at the charity (when previously known as the ‘Seal and Bird Rescue Trust’). It was here that my love of wildlife rehabilitation and birds of prey were concreted. In 2013 I completed an externship with the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, and in 2014 I graduated from the University of Bristol in Veterinary Science. I have been involved with wildlife in a professional capacity since graduating as a vet in 2014, now working with the International Zoo Veterinary Group as a zoo and wildlife veterinary surgeon. As Veterinary Advisor to Marine and Wildlife Rescue, it is my role to guide and consult on matters where veterinary input is required.
What We Do
Marine and Wildlife Rescue was founded in 1990 to rescue both common and grey seals. It has since evolved to cater for all kinds of wildlife. We have specialist vets to tend to the animals that we rescue, and all wildlife, where possible, is returned to the wild. We have directed much investment into the rescue of seals as that is what we were first created to do, and in recent years we have been called to assist more seals in Norfolk and Suffolk than any other wildlife. The population of the seals has continued to snowball and our services have increased to keep up with the surge. We have recently purchased a dedicated vehicle to help facilitate the rescue of larger wildlife, particularly the entangled grey seals that are a regular occurrence. We were fortunate to receive funding towards the purchase of a large custom built livestock trailer by Houghton Parkhouse. This has assisted the transfer of these large mammals to East Winch Wildlife Centre for onward care by their amazing team. Our members are all voluntary and are dedicated to the cause of helping wildlife. We enjoy the work that we do and are grateful for all offered support.
Contribute to our Cause
To enable us to continue with our valuable work, consider supporting us.
Contact Us
Please note: This service is not constantly monitored. For a quicker response, we recommend using our WhatsApp to report wildlife that may need our attention. If you don't have WhatsApp, you can still use the contact form, but please be aware that response times may be slower.
