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It has been a fairly quiet week just gone which thankfully gives us time to work on those we already have in our care. Although, 9 times out of 10, this is probably just the quiet before the storm…
- The week started off with an absolutely gorgeous sparrow hawk (see cover image) we collected from the vets after having a hefty collision with a bedroom window! Must be dancing with the devil as thankfully it had avoided any long-term injuries. After a few days R&R followed by a test flight in our aviary a successful release saw it take a magnificent flight back up to soring heights leaving Gill and the others with nothing but a shadow in the sky to follow!
- Middle of the week we hit a high, Kenny was finally able to release 2 of the hedgehogs he had over winter – Well done Kenny!
- The jungle drums must have let other hogs know there was room at the inn…A very poorly and elderly hog was found and brought in to us. Dehydration, hungry and wobbling all over the place! We made sure to set him up with plenty of food, fluids and critical care before getting tucked up with a hot water bottle for the night but unfortunately the odds were stacked against him with the age, illness and having very bad back legs so he later passed.
- Onto the more optimistic, lifecycle and future of wildlife, fox cub season is fast approaching! Baby foxes are often take to wildlife centres by people who want to help, but this isn’t always what’s best for them. We receive many calls and sadly do sometimes experience this too, they are very cute but the true beauty of foxes exists in seeing them live the free life they should in nature from a distance – here is our guide to help you assess the best course of action if you spot a cub;
Rule of the eye: If the eyes are OPEN they are old enough to be out and about, parents are likely to be nearby(even if you cant see them), check back in 24h*. If the eyes are CLOSED the cub is too young to be alone, contact us/other rescues immediately, do not pick up or handle the cub unless instructed otherwise by contacted rescue expert. *= if after the 24h period the cub has not moved you should follow the guide for a closed eye cub.
Injury or immediate danger: Contact us/other rescues for situational advice, as a general rule do not put yourself in danger in an attempt to save the cub, always handle the cub as little as possible ie; if moving a hit fox out of a road onto a pathway use a towel to pick it up and place it down covered for warmth.
Never: trap a cub, remove it from a den, feed or water it and unfortunately this does have to be said but please don’t keep it at home thinking you are helping and know what your doing. Fox cubs are very fragile – they need to be fed on specific dietary stages based on the age and lose their natural fear of humans making them unsuitable for release leaving them with a life of captivity or risk serious injury if released lacking the natural instincts their mother will teach them to hunt for meals and avoid cars!
Thank You For Reading This Weeks Web Update, See You Next Week!
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