This time of year can get very depressing with the cold, wet weather and dark mornings and nights and the relentless phone calls and animals needing help, however releasing animals back into the wild makes it all worthwhile, it is so rewarding.

Money could not buy the feeling we have when we release an animal back into the wild, an animal that would have otherwise gone untreated and most probably died.

Today we released this swan, she was handed to our vets by a member of the public. Juveniles can often be driven away by territorial pairs, this is most likely what happened to him, he was very tired and weak when he first came to us.

At the same time today we released a duck that had been attacked and could not fly due to loosing so many flight feathers. She had spent two months in our aviary where she was secure, to allow her feathers to re-grow.

Following a trip to the vets to have the hook removed, it is now recuperating in a pen on antibiotics and painkillers.

Update 1 September

Yesterday we released this Mute swan back where it came from. We carried it to the lake and fortunately found its partner. A crowd gathered and it was a tear jerking moment as the two were reunited with each other.

Swans mate for life, so we were really chuffed to see the two back together.

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Swan being released, its partner eagerly watching.

The Swan takes the plunge after a week in our care.

So happy to see each other again.