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From the weekend we have mixed news. Sadly the Heron which we rescued from becoming tangled up in garden plastic netting last week has passed, ultimately the stress and trauma proved too much for them. Yesterday though we released on of two kestrels we have in our care, after a few weeks it was time to see them go back into the wild.
The grounded, starving buzzard we admitted in December was released yesterday after a full health assessment and back to thier correct weight. Being a territorial bird, we aim where possible, to release back to thier home territory. This one was found on the side of the A38 and as we had a precise location, we could release in a safe location very close by. After a short rest in a tree, they were off.
Our modern sterilised, plasticised gardens are often a wildlife desert and often a wildlife death trap, all too often we take calls for trapped and injured wildlife caught in garden netting or plastic ornaments as well as horrific injuries inflicted on hedgehogs from bonfires and garden strimmers. Yesterday we rescued a garden victim, we went to the help of this Heron, after they became entangled in pond plastic netting and as a result badly injured in thier fight for freedom. Once in our hospital, the first task was to remove the remains of the plastic netting, in a panic to free themselves, the netting had become very entangled and caused a lot of trauma. We could then clean them up and carry out a thorough examination. As they could hardly stand and the right wing was hanging, we decided to get them straight to our vets to be gassed down and x-rayed. Thankfully the x-ray doesn't show any internal damage or broken bones. Whilst this is positive news, it's a very, very long road to recovery which will take many weeks, there is a lot of soft tissue trauma needing treatment and time to recover, in addition there is a lot of feather damage which needs to repair. Herons are not easy birds to treat and keep in captivity, not least thier very long sharp beaks which we have to avoid, they also get very stressed and often don't feed, if they don't eat, we have to force feed and this can lead to regurgitation and an almost impossible task. As always, we will try our very best and give this Heron the best chances.
A beautiful sky early this morning as we went to check on some of our rescue ponies and cows. This is our largest feild at 12 acres.
Gracie and Jemima. Gracie the calf is blind, she'll find us wherever we are when she wants a fuss which is anytime except when she is eating!
We rarely rescue dogs but decided to rescue and the lovely Dotty, we are now looking for a suitable home for her, someone who is experienced with training dogs and has the time to invest in her. Dotty, an 18 months old bully cross, is really a lovable friendly girl who has come on so much in a foster home, she is now ready for a life-long home she deserves and to continue her development. Dotty has had all of her basic training and has loved learning new skills, she understands touch, focus, and are currently working on recall and scent games. She loves people and other dogs, a little bit too much but we are working on this everyday and she's getting better with containing her excitement. The world is so fun through Dotty's eyes and she really wants to please. She does have separation anxiety but crate training has been going exceptionally well, she is progressing. If you feel you can offer a suitable home or would like more information about her, please get in touch with us directly.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5yxyevdgkdo
This young swan has been admitted following a dog attack which has left a deep wound, unfortunately that's not the only challenge they face. As well as a wound which we need to keep clean and treat, the swan has subcutaneous emphysema. Basically there is a rupture in the respiratory system somewhere, allowing air to escape and be trapped under the skin, in some areas creating skin like bubbles. Its not possible to repair the rupture, we can only hope that along with the bite wound, this heals. They are in our heated hospital where we can clean and treat the wounds and administer pain relief, anti-inflammatories and antibiotics. They are not in great shape at all, we will remain positive, its certainly going to be a tough one.
Another day and another pair of dumped rabbits, this pair were thankfully found after they were left in a closed cardboard box, next to some bins in a supermarket car park, how reckless and cruel can people be! They are an un-castrated male and a female, they are very likely siblings which means, if she is pregnant which is very likely, there's a risk of birth defects with any young. Both will now need neutering and vaccinating, so that's well over £400 we need to raise and several thousand if she is in deed pregnant! Yesterday we very sadly turned away 12 rabbits and 255 rabbits in 2024, we are simply full, we can only take in more pets when people offer homes to rescued animals and not chose to line the pockets of pets shops and breeders. Are we really a nation of animal lovers.....???
Not a day goes by these days where we don’t learn about another pet cast out into the wild with no ability to fend for themselves. This beautiful boy has been dumped with an infection and hugely overgrown incisors which is even more heartbreaking. He’s with us now and has already had his teeth burred before having them taken out entirely as the top front teeth are twisted and the bottom two are wobbly which is where the infection is. Hopefully the infection hasn’t already tracked into the jaw bone as this will be more problematic for the little fella. He’s very sweet natured and we will do all we can to give him a future he deserves however long that may be. We’ve called him Sidney. ❤️. #abandonedrabbits #adoptdontshop #adoptrabbits #rabbitrescue #rescuerabbits
Not a recent video but its just as cold., thankfully the snow has melted.
This was the best present we had this morning to ring in the new year. Half the village seemed to be blasting off fireworks and frightening animals whilst we were doing late night feeds and nursing poorlies. At a 5am feed this barn owl was up and on his feet and this made our day!! He’s not out of the woods yet and has been given more electrolytes, fluids and a warm tube feed this morning but we are now more hopeful that he can be returned to his breeding partner. Time will tell but as with everything we will do all that we can. #barnowl #barnowlrescue #wildlifehospital #wildliferehab #gavagebirds #owls #rescueowls
It may be the end of a year but today has been as crazy as can be. These are just some of the pictures as a summary. We just taken in the last admission of the year which is an extremely poorly barn owl. Happy New Year to all our supporters and our volunteers that have been so generous with their time over the festive holidays. We have such an amazing team. X #wildlifehospital #rescuehamster #rescueswan #catrescue #rescuewildlife #barnowlrescue
One of two Kestrels in our care, this one has now been moved to a large aviary on the road to recovery.