Airframe Rescue · Bordon
Animal & Wildlife Search and Rescue in Bordon
Drone-assisted search for lost dogs, loose horses and injured wildlife around Whitehill & Bordon (GU35), from Hogmoor Inclosure and the Deadwater valley to Broxhead Common, Kingsley and the heaths of Woolmer Forest. Thermal and visual cameras find the animal from the air, and we keep the people searching on foot heading the right way.
- Hampshire-based operator
- CAA Registered Drone Operator
- Thermal and visual cameras
- Fully insured
Local service
Searching for a missing animal around Bordon
Whitehill & Bordon is a town in East Hampshire that grew up around an Army garrison and is now being rebuilt as a new community on the old military land. It sits in the middle of a large area of heath and pine. Hogmoor Inclosure, on the west side of the town, is former army land turned into a 54-hectare green space with waymarked trails, and the Deadwater valley runs along the edge of the built-up area as a local nature reserve of wet woodland and meadow.
Around the town are some of the most important heaths in the south of England. Broxhead Common, Kingsley Common, Shortheath Common and Woolmer Forest are protected for their heathland birds, including nightjar, woodlark and Dartford warbler. Woolmer Forest and the land at Longmoor are still used by the Army. For a dog that runs off, this is a maze of heather, gorse, pine and sandy tracks, and from above we can cover it far faster than a team on foot.
Bordon is inside our core coverage zone, which runs to about 50 miles from Basingstoke. There are no airports close by, but the military land matters: the ranges at Longmoor are a danger area when in use, and we only fly over Army land when it is safe and agreed. Beyond that, it comes down to the weather and whether a pilot and aircraft are free when you call.
AT A GLANCE · BORDON
- Service
- Drone-assisted search and location of missing, escaped or injured animals
- Area
- Whitehill & Bordon, Headley, Lindford, Kingsley and the surrounding villages, inside our core zone
- Military land
- Woolmer Forest and Longmoor are still used by the Army; the ranges are a danger area when active
- Wider coverage
- Core zone to about 50 miles from Basingstoke, extended zone to about 70 miles, nationwide on request
- How to request
- Ring 0330 401 1227 straight away for a missing animal; send the form for planned work
- What we do not do
- Capture, handle, transport or treat animals, or deploy for dangerous species
Local details checked 8 November 2026.
What we can help with
Our rescue services in Bordon
Six ways Airframe Rescue supports people looking for an animal. In every case we find and watch from the air; the people closest to the animal do the recovering.
Livestock Search and Recovery
We sweep fields, hedgerows and woodland with thermal and visual cameras to find missing cattle, sheep, horses, pigs or poultry, with or without tags or trackers.
Farms and smallholdings around Kingsley, Oakhanger, Blackmoor and Headley keep horses, cattle and sheep, and some heaths are grazed, so a loose animal can reach open land quickly.
You know where the stock is before you send people and vehicles out.
You and your stockmen do the rounding up; we watch and guide from above.
Pet and Companion Animal Search
Lost dogs, cats and other companion animals often go to ground in cover a search on foot walks straight past. Thermal imaging can pick up body heat in vegetation and in low light.
Dogs that run off at Hogmoor, on the commons or in the Deadwater valley usually go to ground in heather, bracken or wet woodland near where they bolted.
A focused search around the last sighting, with positions relayed so you can approach calmly.
Built-up areas and roads bring airspace and privacy limits, so each request is assessed first.
Zoo and Collection Animal Location
Discreet aerial support for wildlife parks, zoos, aviaries and private collections looking for a displaced non-dangerous animal.
Eyes over the site and its surroundings, working to your keepers’ recovery plan.
We do not deploy for dangerous species; those are a matter for the emergency services.
Wildlife and Conservation Monitoring
Planned aerial monitoring of protected or vulnerable species across large areas: survey routes, thermal counts and habitat imagery.
Planned surveys on the heaths are shaped around protected birds, Army use of the land and the trusts that manage the commons.
Repeatable data delivered to your team, without walking the whole site.
Planned around the species, the season and any disturbance considerations.
Injured or Distressed Animal Location
Where an animal is thought to be injured and lying still, thermal detection can find it in dense cover, on steep ground or in places rescuers cannot easily reach.
Useful for a casualty on open heath, deep in gorse or in the wet woodland of the valleys where it cannot be seen from a path.
Precise GPS positions, so rescuers go straight to the animal.
We locate and observe. Handling and treatment stay with vets and welfare professionals.
Priority Call-Outs
When time matters, phone us with the location and what has happened. Each call-out is assessed against location, airspace, weather, light and who is available.
A clear answer on the phone about whether a search is possible, and what it involves.
We do not publish response times; availability depends on the day.
Looking for an animal in or around Bordon?
Phone if it is missing now. For planned work, send us the details.
The process
How a drone-assisted animal search works
Every search is different, but most follow the same five stages, from your first call to the handover.
- STAGE 01
Enquiry and information
You tell us what is missing, where and when it was last seen, and what the ground is like.
- STAGE 02
Location and feasibility
We check the location against our zones and look at airspace, access, weather and light.
- STAGE 03
Search plan
We divide the area into search zones from the last known position, the terrain and the animal’s likely behaviour.
- STAGE 04
Aerial search
Our pilot watches the thermal and visual feeds live and checks every heat signature against the animal’s size.
- STAGE 05
Findings and handover
We relay GPS positions to your team and stay on station until recovery or until you stand us down.
Before you call
What helps us most
- Where the animal was last seen: postcode, what3words or a landmark
- When it was last seen, as accurately as you can
- Species, size, colour and anything distinctive
- How to get onto the land, and who owns it
- Who is already searching, and where they have looked
Why aerial search
What a drone adds to a search, and where it is limited
A view from above
From up to 120 metres, the standard UK height limit for most drone flights, one viewpoint covers ground that would take a search team hours to walk.
Heat, not just light
Thermal imaging detects body heat, so it works in darkness and can pick out an animal against cooler ground.
Fewer people on difficult ground
Checking wet, steep or overgrown ground from the air first means people only go in where there is something to find.
Calmer recoveries
Live positions let the people on the ground move quietly to the right place without pushing a frightened animal further away.
- 01Open fieldClear heat signature
- 02Hedgerow and scrubOften visible through gaps
- 03Dense tree canopyDetection reduced
- 04Sun-warmed groundLower contrast by day
The ground we search around Bordon
Broxhead, Kingsley and the open heaths
North and west of the town, Broxhead and Kingsley Commons are open heather and gorse with scattered birch and pine. In the cool of early morning or late evening a warm animal is very clear on thermal against heath like this.
LimitationThese heaths are protected for ground-nesting birds. From spring to late summer we keep flights brief and plan them with the site managers in mind.
Hogmoor Inclosure and Woolmer Forest
Hogmoor and the woods around Whitehill are a mix of pine, birch and heath crossed by trails, and Woolmer Forest stretches south towards Liphook and Greatham. A dog chasing a deer here can cover a long distance before stopping.
LimitationWoolmer and Longmoor are Army land with a danger area. We fly there only when it is safe and agreed, and under thick pine we search the rides and clearings.
The Deadwater valley and the Slea
The Deadwater runs through a narrow valley of wet woodland, meadow and old trees along the edge of the town, and the River Slea flows north through Lindford towards the Wey. Damp, overgrown ground makes these valleys slow to search on foot.
LimitationThe valley is a nature reserve and a popular walk. We keep flights short and confirm anything near the stream on the visual camera before anyone goes in.
The town, the A325 and new building
Bordon is changing fast, with new housing on the former garrison, the A325 through the middle and building sites on the edges. An animal that escapes at home will usually head for the nearest heath or woodland.
LimitationWe stay off houses, roads, building sites and people. Searches right next to the town are judged one at a time.
Coverage
Bordon and surrounding areas
We provide drone-assisted animal and wildlife searches in Whitehill & Bordon and the villages around it, from Kingsley and Lindford in the north to Headley and Headley Down in the east and Blackmoor, Greatham and Liphook in the south.
There is no Airframe office or team in any of these villages; they are simply part of our search area.
VILLAGES AND AREAS WE COVER
- WhitehillThe southern half of the town.
- LindfordVillage on the north-eastern edge, on the Slea.
- HeadleyVillage to the east, above the Wey valley.
- KingsleyVillage to the north-west beside Kingsley Common.
- BlackmoorVillage to the south-west.
- Headley DownVillage further east, among heath and woods.
- GreathamVillage to the south, beyond Woolmer Forest.
- LiphookVillage to the south-east near the A3.
Bordon is inside our core zone, which runs to about 50 miles from our Basingstoke base. See the full coverage map or check a postcode with our coverage checker.
Who we support
Who the service is for
Around Bordon the calls we expect come from dog walkers at Hogmoor and on the commons, horse owners and smallholders in the villages, and the trusts and landowners that look after the heaths.
Not sure if we can help?
Call and describe the situation, and we will suggest the most useful next step.
Call 0330 401 1227Pet owners
Dogs, cats and other companion animals lost on a walk or from home.
Farmers and livestock keepers
Stock that has broken out across fields, hedges and woodland.
Landowners and estates
Searches and planned monitoring across large private land.
Animal welfare organisations
Rescues, charities and vets who need eyes on a casualty or a stray.
Wildlife and conservation groups
Planned surveys, counts and habitat imagery.
Animal collection operators
Wildlife parks, zoos, aviaries and private keepers of non-dangerous species.
Search coordinators
Anyone running a search who needs aerial support alongside their team.
How we operate
How we fly safely and legally
A search only helps if it is flown safely and legally. This is how every Airframe Rescue deployment is run, in Bordon and everywhere else we work.
More on how we plan and fly operations and the aircraft we use.
Common questions
Questions about animal searches around Bordon
Something we have not covered? Call us and ask.
0330 401 1227Can a drone help find a lost dog in Bordon?
Usually. The heaths, Hogmoor and the woods around Bordon are good ground for a thermal search, and a dog hiding in heather or at a wood edge often shows up quickly. Army land and the town itself need more care. Call 0330 401 1227 with the exact place your dog was lost.
Can you search Hogmoor Inclosure?
Yes. Its heath, open glades and trails suit an aerial search well, with the denser pine checked along the paths. It is busy, so we pick quieter moments and keep away from walkers and runners.
Can you search Woolmer Forest or Longmoor?
Only when it is safe and agreed. These are still Army training areas, and the Longmoor ranges are a danger area when active. If we cannot fly there, we will say so straight away and help you plan a search around the edges.
Can you search Broxhead or Kingsley Common?
Yes. Open heath is ideal for thermal. Both commons are protected for nesting birds, so in the breeding season we keep flights brief and plan carefully.
Can you search the Deadwater valley?
Yes, carefully. The wet woodland and meadows are hard work on foot. From above we can check the open patches and the edges and tell people where to look under the trees.
Can you track a pony or horse that has got out?
Yes. Horses and ponies are easy to see on thermal, and we can follow one while people catch it, which matters with the A325 and the busy lanes.
Is it better to search after dark?
Often. Heath loses its warmth quickly at night, so a warm animal stands out well. We fly at night within CAA rules.
How fast can you help in Bordon?
There is no set response time; it depends on the weather, availability and where the animal is. Bordon is in our core zone, so phone 0330 401 1227 and we will be clear about what is possible.
What details help most?
The place and time of the last sighting, ideally a car park, trail marker or what3words reference. A description, how the animal behaves with strangers and its direction. Any ground already covered.
Which villages around Bordon do you cover?
Whitehill & Bordon, Lindford, Headley, Headley Down, Kingsley, Oakhanger, Blackmoor, Greatham, Liphook and the heaths and farms around them, all inside our core zone.
Is there a fee for searches?
Yes. We are a commercial drone operator, so each search is charged. The price depends on the place, the likely length and what is involved, and you agree it before we fly.
What about a dangerous animal?
Ring 999. Dangerous animals are a job for the emergency services, and we leave any search they have started with them.
Related: Airframe Rescue service overview, thermal imaging surveys and drone services across Hampshire.
Animal search nearby: Alton, Haslemere, Farnham, Petersfield.
Need help finding an animal around Bordon?
Tell us where the animal was last seen and roughly how long ago. We will quickly say whether a drone search could help and what it would involve.
- 01You call or send detailsLocation, time last seen and a description.
- 02We assessZone, airspace, weather and availability, then a clear answer.
- 03We searchThermal and visual sweeps, with positions relayed to your team.
Request search assistance
Discuss a search in Bordon
If an animal is missing right now, please phone. The sooner we speak, the sooner we can tell you whether a drone search can help. For planned work and general enquiries, use the form and include a postcode.
If an escaped animal is a danger to the public, call 999. Dangerous species are a matter for the emergency services.