3 June 2009
WRAS is issuing a warning to pet-owners in the Bramble Drive area of Hailsham after a hedgehog was rescued Saturday evening suffering from warfarin poisoning – rat poison.
Kathy and I were up until 3am monitoring the hedgehog's condition closely and medicating it, as well as giving fluids. The hedgehog picked up overnight and has now gone to Folly Wildlife Rescue for specialist treatment and Vitamin K to help fight the warfarin, which causes internal bleeding.
Pet-owners should keep a close eye on their pets and any change in behaviour should be reported to your their vet. Any pet showing signs of bleeding from the gums, nose, eyes, ears or passing blood should be rushed to their emergency veterinary practice as soon as possible. Please be very gentle in handling any pets suffering from rat poisoning as rough handling can cause internal bleeding.
WRAS is concerned that someone in the Bramble Drive area has placed rat poison in an inappropriate manner, which allows other animals to find and eat it. This is illegal and if you find anything you suspect to be poison out in the open please report it to the police or Defra.
This week has seen our first gull chicks coming in.
If you find a small grey bundle of fluff with black dots looking similar to a duckling, it will be a gull chick. Frequently after windy weather chicks fall off rooftops. As a general rule they bounce well and are not injured and can be placed back up on the roof. The parents cannot pick their chicks up with their beaks so are unable to fly them back to the roof themselves. If possible please try to return them to the roof. They do not need to be on the nest and they can survive very well away from the nest.
We are getting numerous calls about fledglings where people have picked them up as there are cats about.
Please do not touch fledglings at all unless injured. Many people seem confused about what a fledgling is.
One person phoned concerned that a 'baby chick' had flown through her window. Babies or chicks are very small birds, either just bundles of pink or fluff. Fledglings are those that have developed their proper feathers but may still have a small amount of fluff on their heads. If a bird is on the ground flapping its wings but not able to take off very well it is just building up the muscle strength.
All garden birds spend anything from a few hours to a week unable to fly after leaving their nests. Blue tits can have up to 28 young in a year and they are not all meant to survive. Blackbirds, like many other birds, will distribute their youngsters round a couple of gardens so that if a cat does find one the others are not a risk, as they are hidden elsewhere.
Like all other wildlife organisations we cannot take in fledglings just because there are cats about as this would cause millions of birds to be admitted. Picking up a fledgling reduces its chances of survival as they then do not have their parents to teach them how to find food and the best hunting/feeding grounds. Please leave fledgling birds alone unless they are definitely injured.
We have had another swan attacked by a dog at Ditchling Common Country Park this week. It was rushed up to the Swan Sanctuary for treatment.
The Mid Sussex Badger Trust called WRAS to a badger stuck behind a fence in Ringmer. The young adult took over an hour to catch and was found to be suffering from territorial bite wounds to its rump, front legs, neck, ears and head.
East Sussex WRAS is a voluntary organisation which relies on donations. We do not receive funding from government nor the RSPCA. Anyone wishing to make a donation should contact The Treasurer at PO Box 2148, Seaford, East Sussex, BN25 9DE. www.wildlifeambulance.org 24-hour rescue line: 07815 078 234
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Weather for Eastbourne
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: West
