Once again apologies that our webcams are down. We are having problems with our electric supply as well as the cameras !! So please bear with us.
Last Friday we had one of the worst callouts we have ever had. A supporter rang to say that they were by the Cripps River Bridge on the moors and there was a cage of ferrets by the river and just loads of dead ducks all over the place. I wasn’t sure what I was going to but when I arrived a small white ferret was walking along the road and a tiny kitten was crying in the field. The lady who had called us out and her son were very distraught and understandably so. 5 ferrets were in a cage standing on top of the bodies of 6 – 8 chickens and a dead cat which they were eating. The river was littered with dead bodies of ducks and chickens and plastic bags that were floating by the bodies.
The Environment Agency attended and managed to get the bodies out with a grapple hook and the plastic bag contained more bodies, I would estimate over 100 animals were dead. I took the ferrets and the kitten back home. I sincerely hope that the person responsible for such a loathsome act will eventually be prosecuted. The RSPCA are investigating the incident.
Friday evening I travelled up to Stroud to take part in a talk with Chris Cheeseman and there was a really good turnout. So many people are prepared to act on behalf of the badger and I can only hope that the government will eventually see sense, it was just a shame that there was not more representatives from the farming fraternity and veterinary profession. The meeting was called by David Drew, who is against the cull.
Saturday was another busy day and the Burnham Area Rescue Boat ( BARB) helped us catch a swan in Weston-super-Mare that had been trampled on by cattle. It was a male that had come out to protect his partner and their cygnets. Unfortunately the cattle had stamped on his wing and he had pulled out quite a few of his wing feathers trying to get away. He had retreated back into the water. We had been unable to persuade him to come out of the water again so it was necessary to have a boat. BARB are great at helping us. The swan was captured and when our Vet nurse assessed him, she found that the tip of his wing was fractured as well as his leg. She splinted both in the hope that they would heal so that he could go back to protect his family.
Injured swan with Sara and Emily
We have a Wallaby pen with lots of oddments that are given to us over the years. There is a large pond in there which many, many years ago was dug out to make the bricks for the house in 1675. Some of our many (!) mallard ducklings get put in the pen and they can fly away when they want to. Goward, the goose has joined the odd lot flock. He was dumped at a lake but being a domestic goose, was not coping with life in the wild.
Goward the Goose!
We also have recently been given a trio of Apricot Call Ducks which are very pretty.
Apricot Call Ducks
The peahen has managed to keep all her four chicks and they are getting quite large now.
Peahen and chicks
The staff will be pleased as they have to watch them in the spring as the males tend to jump at shiny cars in the spring as they can see their reflection and become territorial. They can really scratch the cars quite badly. We had a number of insurance claims when we used to be open. We don’t know yet if the young peachicks are male or female. Either way, it means more calling early in the morning again at springtime – oh joy!
Stuart, our longest serving volunteers, is getting on well with the polecat that has fallen in love with a female ferret that we have. It’s great to see him with company the polecat, I mean !) Even so the polecat can play hard and we got a great picture of Stuart getting his ear nipped !! Stuart is also taking care of the 5 ferrets that were dumped by the river so he is having busy days at the moment.
Stuart with polecat.
The swan has had to go into the vets as the leg is not healing and we think he will need to have the leg operated on and have the leg pinned. We hope it will be possible.
We’re busy getting ready for our open weekend. I hope not too many people will be disappointed as our local paper said that visitors will be able to see otter cubs being bottle fed and I’m afraid that is not possible as it would make him too tame and there is only one! Still there will be plenty of animals for the visitors to see. Why don’t you come and see us…it’s the last time we are open until December !!
The baby season was meant to be slowing down but young hedgehogs, baby squirrels and mice mean that the orphan carers are busy again.
Feeding baby squirrel.
Lots of Hedgehogs!
Baby mice in an egg cup.
The heavy rain made it obvious that one of our roofs has been leaking. We have not noticed anything with all the dry weather we have been having. So Tony, our maintenance man has been busy with the volunteers trying to get it sorted as soon as possible.
Molly has spent most of her day trying to encourage Albert, my little mongrel shadow, to play. Albert does consider himself too mature at 10 years old for such things but Molly does seem to be able to change his mind sometimes!
Molly & Albert.
Last night an adult badger was taken home. Marie, one of our animal carers took him for release with Rhys, one of our students that is staying with us at the moment. The badger recognised he was home and shot off as soon as the cage was opened. One of the great things we get to do as part of our work!
Badger ready to be let out.
Badger going home!
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