Animal & Wildlife Search and Rescue in Thatcham

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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 slopes towards Cold Ash and Bucklebury and around the commons keep cattle, sheep and horses, which can move a long way once they are loose.

  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 the lakes, on Bucklebury Common or at Greenham usually go to ground in reed, bracken or gorse within reach of 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 across the reedbeds and commons are shaped around protected habitat, breeding birds and the organisations that manage them.

  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 a reedbed, on open heath or deep in a field 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 Thatcham

• Kennet lakes, reedbeds and canal

  Old gravel workings have left a chain of lakes along the Kennet, ringed with reed, willow and fen. Paths, the canal towpath and countless bits of cover make it a hard place to find a dog that does not want to be found.

  LimitationThis is protected wetland with breeding and wintering birds. We plan flights with the land managers where possible, keep them short and check anything near water on the visual camera first.

• Bucklebury Common and the northern woods

  The plateau north of the town carries Bucklebury Common, large blocks of woodland and heath around Cold Ash and Upper Bucklebury. Bracken, birch scrub and sunken tracks hide animals well.

  LimitationUnder full leaf the camera cannot see the woodland floor, so here the drone covers the rides, clearings and edges while people search the cover.

• Greenham and Crookham Commons

  South of the canal, Greenham and Crookham Commons are a large area of open heath and grassland, with farmland around them. Open ground like this is ideal for a thermal search, particularly at dusk and after dark.

  LimitationThe commons hold ground-nesting birds, so in spring and summer we plan any flight with that in mind and keep disturbance to a minimum.

• The town, the A4 and the railway

  The A4 runs through the middle of Thatcham and the railway follows the valley floor below it. Animals that slip away from home tend to head for the lakes, the commons or the edge of the woods, and an aerial view can confirm which.

  LimitationWe do not fly over the A4, the railway or houses. Searches close to them are assessed case by case and may not be possible.

• 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.