Animal & Wildlife Search and Rescue in Henley-on-Thames

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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 Chiltern slopes and in the valleys keep sheep, cattle and horses on steep ground where loose stock can quickly disappear into woodland.

  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 on the towpath or in the beech woods tend to go to ground in bramble, holly or riverside reed not far from 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 in the woods and along the river are shaped around protected habitat, nesting birds and the estates and trusts that manage the land.

  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 a steep wooded slope, in riverside reed or in a field far from the nearest 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 Henley-on-Thames

• Chiltern beech woods

  Lambridge Wood, the woods around Bix and Greys and the slopes above the Hambleden valley are tall beech with very little undergrowth in places and dense holly and bramble in others. Deer are common, and dogs often chase them a long way.

  LimitationWith the canopy in leaf the camera cannot see the woodland floor, so the drone checks rides, clearings and woodland edges and guides people into the trees.

• The Thames and its meadows

  Mill Meadows, the towpath and the water meadows towards Shiplake and Hambleden Lock have reed, willow and long grass along the banks. A dog that runs along the river can hide very close to a busy path.

  LimitationThe river is busy with boats and walkers. We fly at quieter times, never over people or boats, and check anything near the water on the visual camera.

• Hilltop farmland and dry valleys

  Between the woods are big open fields, grazing and steep dry valleys around Rotherfield Greys, Nettlebed and Stonor. Open farmland like this is good ground for a thermal search, especially early or late in the day.

  LimitationStanding crops can hide a still animal, so we start from the last sighting and work along the field edges and hedges.

• The town and its roads

  Henley’s centre is compact and busy, with the A4130 over the bridge, the A4155 along the valley and the branch railway to Twyford. An animal that escapes at home usually heads for the river or the woods.

  LimitationWe do not fly over the town, roads, the railway or crowds. Searches close to them are judged case by case.

• 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.