Delightful Ducklings

Opening an RSPCA box with 9 fluffy yellow Mallard ducklings you cannot help but say aww despite knowing the work they are going to create!  

I set up an incubator with a couple of towels, a cuddly toy, food and water. Each orphan was checked over before all being put into an incubator with a cuddly toy to snuggle up to as well as each other in the warmth.

 So they do not spill or get soaked in water, ducklings get a special device called a hopper to drink from. However they still manage to somehow splash it everywhere!

They are also fed what we call chick crumbs which have the specific nutrients they require and are small enough for them to eat, they usually all race straight to the bowls the second you step away. You can see them pecking away in the video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIpaalihpd8&noredirect=1

These ducklings have now moved into a pen with more space which is the next stage in their rehabilitation. With 9 of them running about it does not take long before it becomes messy, and just like most youngsters they do not clean up after themselves!  
 

They are growing fast so it will not be long before they move outside into one of Stapeleys duckling pens.

As with all orphans it is important that it is certain they have been abandoned before bringing them into a Wildlife Centre. Often the mother will be waiting for you to move on before she will go back to them. With ducklings it is important they stay together and are not put on the water without their mother. 

 

 

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

To donate to Stapeley text and our orphans: STAP70 £2 or £5 to 70070

 

Doing our best for Badgers

During my role as a Wildlife Assistant I see a lot of really sad cases. I felt particularly sorry for a badger that had fallen into a nasty, thick, tar like substance; very smelly. Once the badger had been sedated by our vet we tried desperately to remove the tar, with butter and washing up liquid, which usually does the job.  However, despite our best efforts the substance would not budge and we were no further along with getting him cleaned up, the tar substance was just not budging.  The decision was eventually made by the team to put him to sleep, there was nothing we can do for him which was really sad. Where the badger had fallen in was now at least secure, so as to prevent any further casualties.

However it is not all doom and gloom at Stapeley, and it is fantastic to be able to see so many animals returned to the wild. We admit many badgers that have been hit by vehicles, as they innocently roam around their territories, unaware of the human dangers that await them. One such badger was brought to us with concussion, poor sight in his right eye and blood from its mouth.  Although initially collapsed on arrival the badger soon perked up when in admissions so he was quickly given pain relief and antibiotics and left to recover.  The next day a general anesthetic allowed a closer examination, his teeth were in good condition and there were no fractures - just some bruising- it always amazes me how tough they are!

Once feeding well and signed off by the vet an RSPCA Animal Collection Officer was organised, their exciting role was to release our badger back to the wild.  Badgers are always released in the evening when it is dark, which is an ideal time for badgers.  He was hiding in his box when the officer arrived to pick him up..a quick push with a broom though and he was soon in his transport cage - usually the easiest and least stressful method for everyone involved.  He was then loaded onto the back of the van to be released back to where he came from so that he would be familiar with the area and other badgers, seeing him drive off makes all our efforts worthwhile!   

I was really looking forward to a final picture of him being released but apparently he was too quick for our officer, a good sign though that he was ready for a release home.

BACK OFF OUR BADGERS - With the badger cull due to begin in under 3 months, it’s now or never for our wild badgers. We want to deliver 250,000 voices against the badger cull via the Number 10 petition to ensure that the Government can’t ignore us any longer, so please sign up today and help save the lives of 1000's of badgers:  http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257.

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

To donate to Stapeley text and our orphans: STAP70 £2 or £5 to 70070

Stapeley Orphan Update

The two Feral Pigeon orphans we had some weeks back have moved on from their incubator to larger housing where they can perch and flap their wings to build up important flight muscles. They no longer need tube feeding and eagerly peck at seeds- its not long before it has all vanished!

                                           

Once they are bit bigger and the weather is good they will upgrade to a spacious outdoor aviary before release.

The Wood Mice are now in a big tub and very quick, we have to be careful when cleaning out as we do not want to release them in the hospital !!    Occasionally we see them peering out of their little house, tucking into some food or using their long back legs to jump around. The mice need to wait a little longer before being released so they are a little older (and wiser!!) and when more food resources are available.

                                                









The little female fox cub is much bigger and looking a lot more fox like now. She is being weaned onto solid food and we only syringe feed her three times a day now. Unusually we have not had any other fox cub admissions so she just has cuddly toys in her pen for company for now. It is important she is around other cubs of similar age to learn fox behaviour so we are in the process of networking with other wildlife centres to see whether we can help each other and ultimately find our girl some company, so they can be housed outside together and eventually released back to the wild together, later in the year.

                        

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

To donate to Stapeley text and our oprhans: STAP70 £2 or £5 to 70070