Among the many wild birds of prey admitted to Stapeley we are occasionally presented
with stray, abandoned or mistreated captive exotic birds.
An
owner may lose their bird if it escapes from its aviary or slips from its
tethers. They are unprepared for
survival in the wild with no idea of where to go or how to successfully hunt
for live prey. As a result they are
frequently found weak or entangled by their falconry equipment by Members of
the Public and brought in by the RSPCA Inspectorate teams. A recent example was an Eagle Owl that was
brought in, found in a barn, thin and with anklets on. He is doing
great now and the hunt is now on to find him a suitable home.
However
it is not always accidental, some captive birds of prey are abandoned when the
owners cannot cope financially or find them too difficult to handle. Birds of
prey are difficult to look after, live for many years, require specialised
diets, suitable housing and equipment, its not cheap. The species vary in their specific needs,
their carers therefore need experience and knowledge of their particular birds.
Unfortunately,
there are also cruelty cases where often a lack of lack of knowledge or neglect
has lead to the bird suffering, these cases are really sad.
Ways
we can identify a bird is captive are if it has a ring or equipment still on,
is micro chipped and through its tame ‘non-wild’ nature. If their owners can't be traced we
find birds such as the Eagle Owl a place at an RSPCA approved facility where
they can receive the required care needed.
Finding suitable homes is not always easy but we always get there in the
end.
Supporters of Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre
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