Animal & Wildlife Search and Rescue in Didcot

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• 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 on the downs and in the Vale keep sheep, cattle and horses, and the gallops around Blewbury and the Astons are used by racing yards.

  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 bolt at Ladygrove, on the Thames Path or on the downs usually go to ground in crops, long grass or a shelter belt near where they were lost.

  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 along the river and on the downs are designed around nesting birds, farmland wildlife and the landowners involved.

  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 in the middle of a big field, in riverside reed or in a copse 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.

1. STAGE 01

   Enquiry and information

   You tell us what is missing, where and when it was last seen, and what the ground is like.

2. STAGE 02

   Location and feasibility

   We check the location against our zones and look at airspace, access, weather and light.

3. STAGE 03

   Search plan

   We divide the area into search zones from the last known position, the terrain and the animal’s likely behaviour.

4. STAGE 04

   Aerial search

   Our pilot watches the thermal and visual feeds live and checks every heat signature against the animal’s size.

5. STAGE 05

   Findings and handover

   We relay GPS positions to your team and stay on station until recovery or until you stand us down.

The ground we search around Didcot

• Open farmland and downs

  South of the town, large fields rise to the downs above Blewbury and the Astons, with gallops, sheep grazing and the Ridgeway. Open chalk country like this is ideal for a thermal search, particularly early in the morning or after dark.

  LimitationRacehorses train on the gallops in the mornings. We plan flights to avoid them and keep well clear of strings being exercised.

• The Thames at Long Wittenham

  North of Didcot, the Thames runs between meadows, willow and backwaters past Long Wittenham, Little Wittenham and Sutton Courtenay. A dog that heads for the river can hide in long grass or reed close to the bank.

  LimitationThe Thames Path and the river are busy in summer. We avoid flying over people or boats and check anything near the water on the visual camera first.

• Shelter belts, copses and the Clumps

  Woodland around Didcot is mostly in shelter belts, small copses and the beech-topped Wittenham Clumps across the river. These are the obvious places for a frightened dog to stop.

  LimitationUnder thick summer leaf the camera cannot see the ground, so the drone covers the edges and points people into the trees.

• The town, the A34 and the railway

  Didcot has the main Great Western line and a large junction through the middle, the A34 to the west and the A4130 to the north. New estates on every side back onto fields, so an escaped animal often heads straight into open country.

  LimitationWe do not fly over the town, railways, main roads or houses. Searches right next to them are judged individually.

• CAA Registered Drone Operator

  Airframe is a CAA Registered Drone Operator and our pilots are qualified for commercial operations.

• Aviation safety and airspace

  Every search is planned within UK drone rules, including checks on controlled airspace, roads, railways and people nearby.

• Site-specific assessment

  Each search is assessed for its own location, access and hazards before we fly.

• Weather and suitability

  Rain, wind, fog and low cloud can stop or limit a flight. We will not fly when it is unsafe, and we will tell you why.

• Fully insured

  Commercial drone liability insurance is in place for every deployment. Documentation is available on request.

• Animal welfare and your information

  We work to your plan so the animal is not pushed further away, keep you informed, and do not share your details with third parties.

More on how we plan and fly operations and the aircraft we use.