Volunteers with a mission to save injured animals
It has been a busy and challenging year for the East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service. But as the charity's co-ordinator, Trevor Weeks, reports, their work in going to the assistance of injured and distressed animals has continued successfully.
What a year! At nuclear power stations and sewage processing plants, East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service (WRAS) has been rescuing British wildlife.
Nobody within the organisation is paid a wage. Our volunteers go out in all weathers and all times of day and this year we have rescued more wildlife and answered more calls than ever before.
With mounting vets bills during 2006 WRAS put in place plans to raise funds and open a treatment unit at Horsebridge to reduce its veterinary bills. Unfortunately this year saw an increase in casualties and other expenditure which led to a financial crisis which almost forced the charity to close.
The Gazette kindly helped publicise the problems which led to a rush of public support for WRAS which helped us save thousands more casualties as a result. Our Casualty Care Unit at Horsebridge is now open and taking in casualties as a result. The CCU is not open to visitors in order to reduce stress on the casualties.
WRAS now has a band of about 20 volunteers who help out at Horsebridge on a rota basis, feeding and cleaning the casualties and aiding their recovery. As a result our veterinary bills are starting to decrease. In 2006 our vets' bills exceeded 18,000.
There has been a massive increase in the number of deer call-outs this year. Road casualties are the main calls but we have also received higher than normal calls to deer caught in fencing and rope.
In May WRAS rescuers struggled to help a pregnant deer caught in stock fencing. The deer was treated locally before being rushed up to St Tiggywinkles for expert treatment but despite these valiant efforts the poor creature died, upsetting many of the rescuers and carers involved. This deer was found over a mile from the road. This proved very difficult trying to get the deer back to the road side so that treatment could begin.
In May WRAS's ambulance was used to help British Divers Marine Life Rescue rescue a grey seal from the water inlets at Dungeness nuclear power station in Kent. After hours of working in darkness and cramped conditions the seal was rescued and eventually released at Goodwin Sands.
In July we were called by Sussex Police to a male deer caught in electric fencing near Robertsbridge. After hours of searching for the deer the rescue was straightforward and quick, only taking about 15 minutes. Rescuers cut the deer free and watched it run off into the distance.
It's not just been deer that has taken our time this year. We have had some unusual calls, including one to Debenhams in Terminus Road, Eastbourne. Staff became concerned about a scratching sound coming from the old air conditioning system. They called the fire brigade thinking a large animal such as a fox had fallen into the pipes. Foxes frequently climb up the fire escape looking for pigeons on the roof. But after many patient hours of searching a pigeon was found after the fire brigade cut a hole in the pipe.
Earlier this year WRAS duty co-ordinator Maz Marriott went to Dorset to help with the oiled birds coming ashore after the MSC Napoli started to break up off the Devon coast. The oil which leaked out affected hundreds of birds and Maz attended to help the RSPCA and British Divers Marine Life Rescue. Having experience in dealing with oiled birds on the Sussex Coast every winter WRAS was able to help treat the birds as they came off the beach.
October saw us dealing with a rather smelly situation of a swan which had crash landed at Uckfield Sewage Works. The sewage holding tank was too small for the swan to take off so WRAS volunteers had to get in and rescue it.
And a cygnet had to be caught at Egerton Park in Bexhill earlier this year when it was having difficulty in flying. Its parents were flying off with the other cygnets but this one was struggling due to two dislocations in its neck. These normally happen when cygnets are much smaller and cause a permanent bend in the neck. This cygnet was caught and taken to the Swan Sanctuary in Egham for care.
Back in April WRAS had calls to a different type of youngster. Several fox cubs were rescued by WRAS rescuers including one from Seaford. When they come in they are given special milk replacement and a good feed. They can be difficult to rear and it is important that they are reared properly to avoid them becoming tame.
This year has seen the TV programme Animals 24/7 filming with WRAS. Some of our rescues will be featured in their next edition due out in the New Year.
We have had our fair share of adult foxes too. St Annes Vets called WRAS out to a fox with its leg caught in stock fencing in October. The fox unfortunately needed its leg amputating but foxes can survive with a rear leg missing. After an operation and six weeks of treatment the fox was fighting fit and released successfully.
In October WRAS was called out to barn owls found starving in a barn at Chalvington. Following our rescue they were taken in by the Barn Owl Trust and found to be suffering from an unusual infection.
In September Jean Tyler and Tim McKenzie from Bexhill joined WRAS. They not only rescue but also provide aftercare to wildlife with minor injuries. The knowledge and time that they commit to wildlife rescue has helped fill a void WRAS would have been unable to fill due to volume of calls in the Bexhill area. After 10 years service this year Val and Murrae Hume from Stone Cross and Peter Mortimer from Eastbourne were singled out for a vote of thanks at our AGM in November.
All in all this has been a busy year for WRAS receiving over 2,750 calls for help and attending to over 2,000 casualties.
On average it costs 65 per call out. Most deer call-outs cost WRAS more than 250 and more than 12 hours of time per rescue. During 2008 WRAS will need to ensure that enough funding comes in to keep not just our Horsebridge Casualty Care Unit up and running but also to keep the four veterinary ambulances on the road. One of these is in need of replacing shortly. This will cost in excess of 6,000.
Currently WRAS is not able to respond to every single call for help but the majority of calls are dealt with. Please do not wait until you need WRAS's help - please donate so that when you need us WRAS can be there to help. If you would like to support WRAS so it can continue to help sick and orphaned wildlife please contact WRAS Treasurer, 73 Friday Street, Eastbourne, BN23 8AY
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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
