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UK Garden Wildlife Expert, Sean McMenemy

For 25 years under Sean McMenemy’s guidance, Ark Wildlife has provided species specific food and habitats with an emphasis on ‘fitness for purpose’ and sustainability.

Sean McMenemy is an expert in wildlife habitat design and manufacture, and he has an unparalleled understanding of garden wildlife which dates back to a passion developed during his childhood. He is regarded as a leading authority on garden wildlife who can provide informed and honest opinions on the subject. 

Specialising in British garden wildlife, Ark Wildlife has a wealth of knowledge and experience keeping constantly up to date with the latest research, both internally and through industry and professional bodies. We pride ourselves on providing nutritional and environmentally friendly alternatives to poor quality high street wildlife products.

Ark Wildlife is the UK’s only supplier of specialist feeds such as red squirrel food and duck and swan feed. We are well-known for highlighting the plight of species such as hedgehogs and developing unique products for them, and campaigning for better standards in bird and wildlife food. We also supply a large number of wildlife charities and breeding programmes throughout the UK.


Media Enquiries

Wildlife and its protection are very newsworthy these days and Sean can communicate his great understanding of the subject in an easy and accessible style, thanks to years dealing with the public and long-term customer relationships. We are therefore in a unique position to provide journalists with advice, comments and information for editorial use.

Previously Featured


Press Releases

Red squirrel wildlife staycations: The 5 remaining locations in England to see the endangered mammal

Featured in Country living, Visit Northumberland, Countryside Alliance and MSN.

Red squirrels were recently named by The Mammal Society as being on the Red List of Britain’s endangered mammals. It’s estimated that the population is less than 40,000 in England, all of which are only found in a small number of areas.

These have been named as the Isle of Wight and Brownsea Island in the South, the Lake District and Northumberland in the North, and Formby on the Merseyside coast. With late summer and autumn being the best time to spot the rare native species, experts are sharing their tips for how to encourage red squirrels in your garden, while out on walks, and causes to support.

Director of Ark Wildlife and wildlife expert Sean McMenemy, says: “It’s shocking that when last surveyed, only 5% of people in Britain had ever seen a red squirrel in their garden. This is a native mammal that was once prevalent right across the country, and the figure is likely to be even lower today. As well as competition from grey squirrels, loss of habitat is one of the main issues affecting red squirrels. If you’re lucky enough to live in one of the areas where red squirrels are still around, supporting them with red squirrel food can go a long way to supplementing their diet.”



Bees in danger of becoming extinct in UK cities: how the public can help in their garden

Featured in, Kitchen Garden, Newbury Today, Gardening Etc. and Horticulture Weekly.

In the UK alone 35 species of bees are under threat of extinction. This is especially true in our urban areas, where every time a new building development is constructed on green space another habitat is irreversibly lost. One of the positive impacts of lockdown in the UK is that we’ve all looked to our gardens more and have reconnected with the nature on our doorsteps native to Britain, including British bees. 

The more our cities harbour natural plant life, the better our urban bee populations will fare – so even if you’ve only got a small garden, a balcony, a patio or a tiny pot on the window ledge you can make a real difference. Bees are are prone to cooling, a sudden shower or cold wind can catch them off guard. They normally will crawl to cover to ‘wait out’ the hazard, returning to their task after a short rest. 

Sean McMenemy, wildlife expert at Ark Wildlife, says “It is always better to wait than intervene. Bees often take a rest or break and an inactive bee does not mean it is in difficulty. If a bee remains in the same place for longer than 30-45 minutes, it is likely to need help. Honey, brown sugar and artificial sweeteners should be avoided and never offered to bees. Commercially available honey may carry pathogens that could infect bees if it were fed to them.” 



Lockdown leaves the UK’s ducks and swans at risk of starvation during breeding season – here’s how you can help

Featured in The Sun, The Daily Star and The Mirror.

An unintended side effect of the coronavirus lockdown is that wildlife in public spaces, which usually relies on humans to feed it, is being left to go hungry. Natural food is limited on our inland waters, so ducks and swans which live on ponds and lakes need supplementary feeding by the general public. Many are now at risk of starvation.

Ark Wildlife is giving away tonnes of Ark Duck & Swan Floating Food to animal sanctuaries and waterfowl charities during the lockdown. They are asking people to do their bit by bringing kitchen scraps like healthy greens, sweetcorn or oats to their local waterside.

Sean McMenemy, wildlife expert and Director at Ark Wildlife, says “This lockdown has occurred during the breeding season and is the worst thing that could happen to our ducks and swans. The donation of five tonnes of food from Ark Wildlife made to animal sanctuaries and waterfowl charities throughout the UK will hopefully go some way towards making up for the lost contributions. We would, however, implore those who are able to get outside to support the duck and swan wildlife in their local park.”



One Million Hedgehogs

Our current Hedgehog population is estimated to be less than 1 million animals, down from about 35 million animals in the 1950’s and still thought to be falling at a rate of 5% a year.

As part of Hedgehog Awareness Week 2018 (6th – 12th May) Ark Wildlife is running One Million Hedgehogs Photo Competition. Packed with prizes, they are calling on everyone with a picture of a hedgehog to submit it to their competition.

Sean McMenemy Director at Ark Wildlife says, “We have been supporting the cause of hedgehogs for over 25 years and this year have set ourselves the huge target of one million votes for hedgehogs”. He continues “Hedgehogs are one of our most recognised and loved animals and we think the public will get behind our campaign. They’ll be able to share their own hedgehog photos and view and vote for others, all in one social arena. This has the potential to raise hedgehog awareness to a whole new level.”