Nine owlets find shelter from storms
From Hart Wildlife Rescue A SPRING of drought, gales and flooding has taken its toll on British wildlife. More admissions than ever before – including nine young tawny owls – are making life tough for a Hampshire wildlife rescue centre. “We’re nearly full-up and might have to close to new cases if this continues, ” said Caragh Hunter, 22, from HART Wildlife Rescue. “The weird spring weather is definitely to blame. When it was hot a few weeks ago we had hedgehogs being brought to us that were dehydrated – we’ve got 16 of them in now.  “The rain caused its own problems too – we had a badger cub come in after its sett was flooded and we’re swamped with ducklings rescued from fast flowing rivers. “We’ve never had so many owlets – more in the past few weeks than we had all last year. Two were found inside a fallen tree – they’d been nesting in its hollow trunk. The others were found after being blown from trees. They’re all between four and eight weeks old – one was saved after a crow was seen attacking it on the ground. “Sometimes people are too quick to step in and help. If you find an owl, pick it up and put it on a branch. Its parents will probably come back soon to feed it. Whatever you do, phone a rescue centre for advice before bringing it in. “It’s the same with blackbirds – if they get blown down or fledge early the adult birds often look after them on the ground. We’ve got lots of blackbird chicks in at the moment.
| “A whole clutch of six blue tit chicks came in today – nest and all – after it fell out of a tree.” The centre, near Alton, in Hampshire has planning permission to more than double its size and is now fundraising for the £50,000 needed to build the much needed new accommodation in an adjacent field. “The new buildings, that will be a bit like stable blocks, will help us look after more cases,” added Caragh, senior clinical assistant. “We’ve also taken in 19 fox cubs this spring – one of our volunteers has six of them in her barn. Even our treatment rooms are packed, floor-to-ceiling, with animals. “Spring-time is always busy for us, but this year it’s ridiculous – we can only go home when the work is done. We rely on our volunteers who help to feed our little ones around the clock – we’d be lost without them,” she said. “The tawny owls will be released in September, from release sites where they’ll spend three weeks in an aviary before we open the door. We carry on feeding them there until they stop coming back. “Nationally, there’s a 40% percent success rate for saving wild animals that are brought into centres like ours for treatment. But last year we managed a success rate of 73% – it’s no wonder that we get calls from all over the country,” added Caragh. Other birds being treated by the team at HART today include – greenfinches, dunnocks, doves, woodpigeons, crows, sparrows, a magpie, a robin and even a red-legged partridge. For more information about the work of HART Wildlife Rescue visit www.hartwildlife.org.uk Editors: For further information please contact Jackie Grey on 01264 356253. HART Wildlife Rescue, Unit 9, Soldridge Business Park, Soldridge Road, Medstead, Nr Alton, Hampshire, GU34 5JF Tel: 01420 562335 Registered Charity Number: 1066760 www.hartwildlife.org.uk email: help@hartwildlife.org.uk Board of Trustees: Chairman RC Gibbs , Cllr P Baker, J Hodge, P Mart, L Martin Treasurer: Jane Bacon. Secretary: Karen Margesson Patrons: Pippa Greenwood, Lady Portal DL, Clare Scheckter
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A SPRING of drought, gales and flooding has taken its toll on British wildlife. More admissions than ever before – including nine young tawny owls – are making life tough for a Hampshire wildlife rescue centre.
