Who has been eating my food?

Shortly after my last blog on the progress of the orphaned hoglet it was decided that he could be signed off ready for release. As he was admitted at just over a week old the hedgehog now just needed a suitable location with a short period of support feeding.

I thought it would be wonderful to carry out the release in my own garden so I may still be able to occasionally see him. So, that day after work the hedgehog came home with me and I left him in an open skipper with a bit of food to start exploring his new environment when he was ready. Watching from a distance I saw him tuck into the food before wondering off into the big wide world.

However the story does not end there!   Keen to see the hedgehog again I set up a special sensor camera that is triggered by movement. I was hoping to capture him on film eating the support food I was putting out for him in the evenings. As usual the food disappeared, so I was very excited about checking the footage, however, I was a little surprised to see that it was not a hedgehog that was scoffing the food but a very intelligent and healthy looking magpie!  This magpie was obviously not going to pass up on the opportunity of an easy meal !!

  

I will continue to keep an eye out for the hedgehog in my garden but I am guessing he has probably now moved on.  I just hope he has taken well to his new life back in the wild. 

By Michelle Bite

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

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

Something’s ‘Afoot’ with one of our Swans!!

The element of surprise is constant during the summer time at Stapeley! Amidst all the everyday feeding and cleaning, you actually never know what will come through the door at any given time, or what it is you might witness next...

I witnessed a small operation last week, carried out by our vet, Bev. A lame swan had been brought in to us, having been observed limping quite badly. On further examination, it was apparent there was a hard lump under the skin of the swans’ leathery foot.

On removing the lump, it was clear to see why it had caused such a problem for the swan to walk comfortably. A large marble sized ball of hardened pus was the offending mass, caused by an initial infection. 

On successful removal, the swan was made comfortable in our isolation unit. Once the wound has healed, the swan will be put onto the outside pool area and will then get to enjoy meandering around the grounds in new-foot-heaven!!

By Lynsey Cale

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

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

Hoping for a Swift release

Amongst the orphan birds brought into Stapeley, Swifts are one of the more challenging to raise. Whilst admitting one I could not help but look at it in awe.  They spend most of their life in the air carrying out all of the usual activities of feeding, mating and even sleeping - pretty amazing!

Always on the go Swifts only land to nest and raise their offspring.

Unlike other birds Swifts can only feed while flying because their soft beaks are unable to pick up live food. It is therefore necessary to regularly force feed their diet of wax worm larvae, crickets and flies which is very time consuming to prepare, especially with the substantial amount they seem to get through!

They have extremely delicate, extra long and extra thin wings which have to be in tip top condition in order to support their lifestyle in the sky.  So while looking after the orphans, exceptional care is taken to prevent any feather damage which could delay their release.

     

To add to the pressure they must be ready and released before the end of the summer so they can migrate to South Africa along with other Swifts. Hopefully it will not be long before the orphaned Swifts at Stapeley can be taken to a field where they will have the space to gain the height to start their life in the sky.

By Michelle Bite

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

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

Woodmouse with babies - 3, 4 and then 5!!

Whilst most people are celebrating the birth of our Royal baby, here at Stapeley, we are rejoicing in the surprise arrival of four baby wood mice!!  

The mum-mouse arrived at Stapeley after an encounter with a cat, fortunately escaping relatively unscathed. After cleaning out her temporary home I mentioned to a colleague that this mouse was quite large...hmm, pregnant maybe, or just well fed!?!

The following day as I lifted her bedding, I was greeted with the sight of 3 squirming pink, naked babies!

Turns out she had actually had 4, but the 4^th was well covered. A sign was immediately attached to her container reading ‘DO NOT DISTURB’.

Two hours later, another tiny pink mouse was admitted into the hospital and we put this alongside the new arrivals to see if mum would adopt it. There was a chance she would expel it from the nest, but we thought it was worth a try...

Yesterday we took a sneaky peek to see how the family were getting on and as the picture below shows all appear to be doing well :)  Will keep you posted on their progress. Would be fantastic if they all survive and get to be released in the near future....

By Lynsey Cale

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

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

Haven't you grown!

It never ceases to amaze me how fast wildlife develops, they do this to have the best chance of survival.  I was reminded of this when during the routine cleaning out of hedgehogs in the orphan room I saw how much our first orphan hoglet had grown. You can read the previous blog about the hoglet that was left behind.

When the orphaned hoglet first arrived.

It has now been six weeks and it has grown from a small sausage with spikes into a very active juvenile hedgehog.  During the six weeks it has gone through various stages of feeding; stomach tubing, lapping milk formula, having it's first taste of meat to becoming fully weaned. Now weighing in at 400g more than when it was admitted it will not be long before this juvenile hedgehog will be transferred to an outside pen and eventually back to the wild.   

What a difference in only 6 weeks!

With one well on the way to release there are still plenty more hoglets going through the stages of weaning which i keeping us all very busy!  The wild hedgehog population is in decline so their rehabilitation and release is really important from a conservation perspective, so that we can all continue to see them in gardens around Britain.

                                       

                                                   Lapping at milk formula.

Enjoying some mushed up kitten food.

See the footage below of one of Stapeleys juvenile hedgehogs enjoying a meal.

By Michelle Bite

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

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

Summer is here...as am I !!

Hello once again wild lifers!  Its Lynsey again, I am back for another summer spell at Stapeley! I cannot believe it is already over a year since I was last here, and once again our busiest time of year is in full swing!

Having arrived in May, things were off to a slower start than usual, with seemingly fewer admissions and quieter rooms. We put this down to the practically non-existent spring having impacted the arrival of many newborns.  However, now into July, the pace has really quickened and we are as busy as previous years.

 

Yesterday our new vet Bev had her work cut out for her, with the task of attempting to remove a fishing float from a cygnet’s oesophagus. It was well and truly stuck with decaying food lodged all around it, a pitiful and frustrating sight indeed. One can only imagine how miserable the signet had been since swallowing the float, made worse by the parents having been observed attacking the poor thing.

 

Having four other cygnets to care for, in nature it isn't uncommon for a weaker sick individual to be rejected by the parents. Rearing young is costly energy wise, so the input of caring for ones offspring should be of benefit to the parents e.g. healthy individuals have a greater chance of survival and ultimately, of passing on their genes in the future. A sick or injured animal may be weeded out, thus emphasising the Darwinian phrase of ‘Survival of the Fittest’.

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

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

Successful Open Day at Stapeley Grange

The date of the Open Day finally arrived, the marquees and stalls were all setup then the rain came down!

However this did not deter the large number of visitors to come despite the weather. As a result of the fantastic turnout we were able to raise approximately £3800 which will be an enormous help to the Centre.  The raffle raised £918 with many thanks to staff from Barclays on the day and all the donations of prizes. The name of the spectacular dog was Heidi and she raised £80.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visitors had a great time browsing the stalls, seeing the education department, playing games, watching the dog shows and choosing from the great selection of cakes.

The finale was the staff Archery competition which enabled us all to have a go with a photo of the Manager on the targets (it is not every day that you get to fire arrows at your boss!).

 

Huge thank you to everyone involved to make it all come together to be a success and to all who came along. The day raised much needed funds and awareness and we will look forward to next year!

 

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

 

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