Spring has arrived at Stapeley Grange

With the recent change of weather and the arrival of early morning bird choruses it really feels like spring has arrived.  At Stapeley the admission of our first fox cub and group of ducklings of the year is the sign that our busy Spring season is definitely upon us.

Our first orphan fox cub was brought in at only a few days old, weighing in at just 159g. During the initial vet check his breathing was slightly raspy, which we shall have to monitor closely over the coming weeks.  The little fellow is now being syringe fed puppy milk formula six times a day which he eagerly takes, which is very encouraging. Once the cub has taken enough we then have to take a few minutes to stimulate him so that he passing urine and faeces; this is simply achieved with a damp piece of cotton wool.  Without stimulation he would not be able to go to otherwise which would be a major problem!

                            

He then gets to go snuggle up to a soft toy and naps in his incubator until the next feed which is usually only a few hours away, which keeps us busy.  During the next few months we expect to see many more fox cub admitted, some of which will be grouped together so they can be released later in the wild.

The group of 8 ducklings were brought in by a member of the public as sadly the mother had been killed in a road accident. At least someone was able to get them to us.  I had forgotten since last year how surprisingly loud ducklings chirp and how messy they are, however the cuteness remains too!

A common misconception is ducklings need water to swim in when in fact they need to be kept warm with water for drinking and some food.  These 8 orphans are now in a pen with a heat lamp, cuddly toy, dish of duckling crumbs and a special water dispenser.

       

It is incredibly hard work over the spring and summer months however the joy of seeing the orphans grow and seeing them returned to the wild makes it all worthwhile.

Before picking up what you think is an orphaned animal, please think twice.  Often mum or dad is around the corner waiting for you to leave.  If, after monitoring the situation for some time, you are concerned about the welfare of any young animal please call your local rehabilitator or the RSPCA National Call Centre - 0300 123 0722.  For more advice - http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/wildlife/orphanedanimals

By Michelle Bite

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

 'Support RSPCA Stapeley Grange now by giving just £3, simply text RSPCA2 to 70007‘ 
Texts cost £3 + standard network rate

Seabirds at Stapeley

Presently at the hospital we have 3 razorbills and a cormorant. They are not the most common of our wildlife patients, so it is always quite special to see these birds up close. All the seabirds which are admitted to Stapeley receive a supplemented fish diet. Aquavits provide extra nutrition, which the birds would naturally procure from fresh live fish caught in the wild. Our fish is always fresh, but dead and defrosted, which means essential vitamins are not lost in this process. Doses of an anti-fungal medicine are also administered, and used as a preventative measurement from respiratory infection. In captivity, seabirds are prone to develop respiratory problems as they are only used to open fresh sea air, and not our stuffy, bacteria laden land!

The cormorant came to us after being rescued from an entanglement and was a little thin and weak. Differing from other water birds, cormorants do not have waterproof feathers and are usually recognisable by their ‘drying off’ stance; perched with wings stretched out and neck upright.

Our cormorant has been moved from an indoor enclosure now to an outdoor pen which has a shallow pool. He is looking in fine fettle, being fed plenty of sprats and should be ready for release quite soon.                             

One of our three razorbills is now outside on the deep pool, after receiving a good wash to help restore its natural waterproofing. Another of our razorbills was found blown off course and in a town high street!

Razorbills possess a stature that enables them to live a life predominantly swimming on open waters; short legs, situated at the back end of their body (as opposed to the middle body area e.g. ducks) and a longer breast area, not dissimilar to that of a puffin.

  

Handling them requires dexterity and a swift reflex...razorbill by name, razorbill by nature, ouch!

By Lynsey Cale

Sponsors of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

 'Support RSPCA Stapeley Grange now by giving just £3, simply text RSPCA2 to 70007‘ 
Texts cost £3 + standard network rate

Saying goodbye to the 'Stapeley Six' storm seal pups

They say a good breakfast is needed to set you up for the day.  I have to some extent followed this well used saying today by waking up to Kellogs, Nutrigrain, Porridge, Ready Brek, Start and Boulder.  However it was no normal breakfast time but a fantastic opportunity for me to help with the first stage of the transfer of the 'Stapeley Six' (that were named after cereals by the staff at RSPCA East Winch!) back to Norfolk where they will begin their final stages of rehabilitation, before their release.

   

I joined RSPCA Driver Dan Ward on the first leg of the move which involved our moving a seal that had been rescued from Liverpool Docks to 'Welsh Mountain Zoo' and to bring back to Stapeley, three of the 'Stapeley Six' who had been there for the past six weeks.  Our Liverpool seal will spend some time at the Zoo, before being returned to the wild.

   

The three 'Stapeley Six' seals were looking great after their time at the zoo, fantastic body condition.  It was now their turn to be loaded up for the short journey back to Stapeley.  Thanks to the help of the zoo's friendly staff the exchange went very smoothly and we returned to Stapeley with our bargain of three seals for the price of one!

   

Two days later and their final move back to Norfolk from where they will be finally released. It was a mammoth task carefully herding each seal into a Vari Kennel and then lifting them onto the RSPCA van, especially with their extra weight and it being another early start!

Fortunately the seals were fairly compliant and we had them boxed up and ready for transfer within an hour; Dan was on the road once again.  Seeing their progress through the various stages of rehabilitation and grow has been fantastic, then being part of their final transfers has really made it a special moment for me.  As they say 'all good things must come to an end' but I will certainly not miss the awful smell of herring!

Its been a massive team effort at Stapeley to help through these six seal pups and we have been helped massively by  the staff at 'Welsh Mountain Zoo' who looked after three of the 'Stapeley Six'.  The hard work is now over to the seals but we have at least given them a chance of a life back in the wild, where nature intended.

By Michelle Bite

 'Help RSPCA Stapeley Grange now by giving just £3, simply text RSPCA2 to 70007‘ Texts cost £3 + standard network rate

Supporters of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

Unusual shopper

The stormy weather has caused chaos all over Britain over recent months; even Stapeley Grange was hit a couple of weeks ago leaving us with no power for two days, which proved interesting in the hospital.  As well as the seals and otters that have been brought into Stapeley, the recent high winds has also resulted in a number of birds being blown off course that have left them in difficulties and that has meant they have had to come in.

One such casualty was a Razorbill found limping along Llandudno High Street; struggling and clearly out of place it was in need of our help.  An RSPCA Inspector collected the sea bird from its 'shopping trip' on the high street and transferred it into Stapeley so that it could be checked for any injuries which may be causing it's lameness.  The pain was probably sustained from crash landing in the high winds but on initial examination, the legs did not reveal any wound or obvious injury.

The Razorbill was placed on a course of painkillers and over the space few days has begun to shown some improvement. Although it currently still needs to be assist fed sprats the bird has also begun to put on weight which is very encouraging.  I can't wait to see this rarely seen seabird recover and return to its natural coastal cliff surroundings.

By Michelle Bite

East Coast Storm Seal appeal: To donate Text Seal02 £3 or £5 to 70070

Take a look at our seals: http://bit.ly/1kouicu

  

Supporters of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

Senseless shooting

Crows, along with other corvids and waterfowl, are often sadly admitted into the hospital as a result of senseless shootings.  Regrettably it can sometimes take time for such injuries to be noticed by members of the public before they are brought in; crows are very resilient and can survive on the ground for some time before they are noticed and picked up.

A crow was admitted this week with a dropped wing and was subsequently x-rayed by the veterinary team. The xray revealed an air gun pellet embedded in its neck!  It was very lucky to have survived and to have been spotted and picked up so quickly, thus enabling the team to act on this new evidence.

The pellet was removed and the bandage applied around the dropped wing in a figure of eight around the body which would offer more support.  This will be removed in a few days for a re-check to see if the wing positioning is correct.  The crow is currently on a course of painkillers and is eating well.

 

I will never be able to comprehend why someone would want to cause such harm and suffering to such a beautiful and intelligent bird.

By Michelle Bite

East Coast Storm Seal appeal: To donate Text Seal02 £3 or £5 to 70070

Take a look at our seals: http://bit.ly/1kouicu

  

Supporters of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

New Year and new challenges

We are now a few weeks into the New Year and with a dramatic end to 2013 many of us have not had the time to think of resolutions (a valid excuse I think!), instead we are looking forward to what challenges 2014 will bring. This year marks a big milestone for Stapeley as it is our 20^th anniversary, a fantastic cause for celebration and a great achievement. In addition to the difficult task of rehabilitation we have also set an ambitious fundraising aim of £20,000, so there are many exciting events planned to hopefully even beat the target. Please see the following link to find out more details of what we have planned through the year  http://www.rspca.org.uk/local/stapeley-grange-cattery/events.

For the start of this year sadly the seals have not been the only victims of the terrible weather. Flooding from the rains have resulted in two cases of unfortunate otter cubs to be swept away from their homes and mothers. Luckily they were both discovered and when no parent returned were brought to Stapeley by an RSPCA Inspector.  

They were given health checks before settling into their new homes in isolation with a wooden box den, cosy blanket and a nice heat lamp for warmth. Initially the orphans were fed milk formula with a bit of trout but weaning didn't take long as within days the cubs were devouring the fish!

Appearances can be deceptive and in this instance it is certainly the case. Despite the cute looks, otter cubs come with a sharp set of teeth that they are not afraid to use!

During rehabilitation we follow a minimal contact and hands off approach to their care to prevent the cubs from becoming accustomed to people. Soon they will be transferred to the New Forest Wildlife Park who specialise in the rehabilitation of orphaned and sick British otters. The cubs will be cared for there for up to 9 months, in the mean time they have been paired together as they are of similar age to socialise and learn from each other. 

Supervisor Rob is the rehabilitation Coordinator at Stapeley and works in collaboration with the environment agency to carry out a soft releases onto suitable private land near where they generally came from. I hope to follow the otter cubs progress until their release later in the year, I think that is a far better resolution than going to the gym!

By Michelle Bite

 

East Coast Storm Seal appeal: To donate Text Seal02 £3 or £5 to 70070

Take a look at our seals: http://bit.ly/1kouicu

 

Supporters of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery

To the Mountains... (And don’t spare the seals!)

Myself and supervisor Rob had a cheeky little day out on Sunday, but all in the name of work and rehabilitation I assure you!

It was time to take 4 of our orphaned seals to a bigger pool...Destination ‘Welsh Mountain Zoo’. The Welsh Mountain Zoo have 2 of their own orphaned seals to contend with presently, but fortunately, their larger and deeper pool facilities mean there is plenty of room for a few of ours to join in too!

  

All hands on deck in the morning as we guided, nudged and steered our 4 seals into individual carriers, weighed them, updated their records and loaded them into the van. They all appeared quite chilled out and a couple even had a snooze on the way.

Arriving at the zoo we were met by some of the keepers and they assisted in transferring our charges from the back of the van to the new pool enclosure. Just like their stay with us at Stapeley, this too, is just a temporary stop prior to their final release back into the sea. Weight wise they still need to gain bit more ready for the wild, and having a deeper pool means they can practice their swimming and feeding skills...all necessary for the best chance of survival in the big wide sea!

  

Although at a zoo, our seals are not on display to the public. However, myself and Rob and Tom and Peter from Welsh Mountain Zoo, did enjoy just watching them for awhile when we let them into the new area! Was great fun seeing them dive to the lower depths, splash around freely, blow bubbles and my favourite, floating vertically with just their heads bobbing on the surface!

 

They have come a long way, not just in miles but physically too. The next step of rehabilitation is underway and it has been fulfilling to be part of the journey so far. The Welsh Mountain Zoo will keep us updated on the seals general health and progress, and a big thank-you to them for providing the next step of our seals care (and a good cup of tea at the cafe!).   By Lynsey Cale

East Coast Storm Seal appeal: To donate Text Seal02 £3 or £5 to 70070

Take a look at our seals: http://bit.ly/1kouicu

Supporters of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre and Cattery