Metropolitan line Tube driver becomes hero by helping Chilterns wildlife during drought.

Richard Winters from Little Chalfont has become the new best friend of local wildlife after starting to film their adventures in the woods in and around Amersham.

His new passion for protecting local creatures began during the lockdown, when he set up Ring camera in his garden.

He described the moment he got hooked: “I saw what was going on at night with it, and the amount of stuff I saw going past the house –badgers, foxes, hedgehogs. I started getting a bit more into it, and put stuff for them to feed and encourage them and put some videos online.

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“People seemed to like it, and with positive feedback you do a bit more, and it led to a massive rabbit hole. I got caught into it and started investigating feeding hedgehogs, and found out that you have to feed them certain stuff, and how most of the stuff we know about them is wrong.

“They’re on danger of extinction and on the ‘red list’ in this country.

“It became a passion, and I thought I’ve got to do my bit, so I found out we have got some in the area. You very rarely see them these days.”

The videos brightened up the day, were lovely to show to children and even helped as a pick me up when feeling low, the fans of the videos told Mr Winters.

During his walks he couldn’t help to notice how dry the ground was during the recent heatwaves.

Although people were putting water out for wildlife in their gardens “the woods were dried out,” he said.

Using shallow oven dishes and 20 litres of water, he created watering holes in the woods and set up his camera near them.

Mr Winters said: “A lot of people say animals don’t have expressions, but I saw a squirrel just guzzling and guzzling, you think obviously they’re that desperate for it, there’s a shortage.

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"And, to be honest, I can fill up a whole roasting tray with water, and within 24 hours it’s dry, so it was really quite severe.

“Personally I haven’t found any dehydrated animals, but I’ve seen them on the websites I get on. But badgers are suffering massively because not only are they not getting water but they can’t get the grubs they’re digging for, which is the same for all animals.

“And they just aren’t about as much. Normally I have hedgehogs visiting every night, but they’re not there as often and try to stay in the shade.”

Luckily most of the birds’ breeding was done before the worst of the drought, but the animals he sees tend to look smaller, not well nourished and “there’s a desperation to them as they’re scrabbling around and looking for any little thing.”

The drought rescue and animal spotting have kept him so busy that he also needs to “give some time to my girlfriend,” he laughed.

But he's hoping to make more hedgehog videos as "they are literally dying." 

Richard Winter's top tips: 

  • Set up bowls of water in the garden 
  • If you see a hedgehog, try some kitten food, but don't feed them nuts, seeds, meal worms or milk (they are lactose intolerant) 
  • If you see a wounded animal don't attempt to treat it yourself, but take it to the nearest animal rescue like Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital