RSPCA Mallydams Wood

Mallydams Wood Wildlife Centre has been a sanctuary for wild animals since 1961, when local artist Horace Quick gifted 55 acres of woodland to the RSPCA to benefit native wildlife. Today, it stands as one of the UK’s most respected wildlife rehabilitation centres, serving Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire. The centre combines hands-on animal care with nationally acclaimed education programs.

Mallydams Wood is especially known for its specialist seal rehabilitation work. Each year, the centre admits dozens of injured or orphaned seals, many found underweight, entangled, or suffering from parasites along the Sussex coast. Seal care here is intensive: pups receive round-the-clock attention, including hand-feeding, salt baths for infected wounds, and swimming lessons in deep recovery pools. Rehabilitation can take up to four months, and only when a seal is strong, healthy, and able to hunt independently is it released, often on the same beach where it was found.

This work is made possible through collaboration with groups like British Divers Marine Life Rescue, and through public support. The centre’s seal pools, equipped with advanced water filtration and UV disinfection systems, are a testament to the care and precision involved in marine wildlife recovery.

Beyond seals, Mallydams Wood treats a wide range of wildlife, from oiled seabirds and orphaned fox cubs to reptiles and amphibians. It also hosts the Mallydams Community Education Hub, offering immersive learning experiences for schools and youth groups, and helping foster a lifelong respect for animals.