TREVOR WEEKS: Please remember to slow down when you see our wildlife rescue ambulances

It been a very busy week with rescuers rushing around all over the county. Our orphan team has more and more baby birds starting to arrive.

This little blackbird was rescued from the Link Road in Eastbourne, after being brought in by a cat.

He has a fracture to his leg which has been splinted to allow the bones time to heal and has now joined our other orphans, where he isn’t letting his leg effect him or his appetite.

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A young dove has been handed into WRAS after being taken to Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare at Ringmer. Unfortunately no details were taken or left with the dove by the person who took it to Raystede. It is always important to know where casualties have come from, and leaving your contact details is also important in case we have any questions about the casualties history or past which would help with treatment and care. If you were the person who delivered this dove this morning to Raystede could you please get in touch with us on 01825 873003. Thank you.

Calls have included a goldcrest from South Chailey, a chiffchaff and pigeon from Seaford, a fox and dove from Newhaven, a pigeon from Uckfield High Street and an injured swan in Barcombe Mills just in one evening.

We have also had a catted nestling blackbird delivered to WRAS by Bexhill Wildlife Rescue. Ambulances have also dealt with an injured pigeon in Marklye Lane, Heathfield, two pigeons caught behind netting in Fairfield Road Eastbourne, and a young dove in Heathfield Road, Burwash Common.

We have also had a catted slow worm from Newton Road, Lewes come into care which is also being looked after in our orphan room and borrowing their facilities despite not being an orphan.

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Volunteer rescuers have responded to call-outs to a catted rabbit unable to stand at Ditchling Road Brighton, a catted bat in Fletching Avenue, St Leonards, a young dunnock with breathing problems in Bexhill, a road casualty fox on the A26 just south of Eridge, a hedgehog with breathing difficulty in Willingdon and a road casualty badger on the A22 at Hailsham all in a five hour period between 8pm and 1am. The bat, Brighton rabbit, Dunnock and hedgehog have all been admitted into WRAS’s care but unfortunately the badger and fox did not survive.

Our Easter activities are all lined up for our charity shop in Terminus Road, Eastbourne from Friday, Saturday and Monday over the Easter Weekend. Cavendish Bakery has very kindly produced loads of hot cross buns. Staff and volunteers will be talking to visitors about our charity work as well as helping to make craft items and much more.

Rescuers from East Sussex WRAS dealt with an RTA badger just after midnight on the A22 near East Hoathly. Chris put the warning beacon lights on and their hazard lights and pulled over to help the injured animal. The badger was barely alive and when the road was quiet he moved it to the side of the road to assess it. Sadly no one seemed to pay any attention to the ambulance or its warning lights and continued to speed past. Whatever had hit the badger had left large bits of bumper and body work all over the road. As motorists continued to speed past, shards of this bodywork were sent flying towards Chris, the casualty and the ambulance. At one point a large piece of plastic struck Chris on the back. Both Chris and the ambulance were hit with large bits of plastic as cars sped past.

Luckily neither Chris or the ambulance were hurt or damaged. Sadly the badger passed away shortly after at the roadside. Chris cleared all of the remaining body work off the road to avoid further hazards to other motorists. If you see one of our ambulances with its lights on, we are trying to protect ourselves, the casualty and other road users.

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Please slow down. It’s scary enough approaching an injured animal in the dark, but its even harder being showered in plastic as cars fly past at 60mph. There could be an animal in the road that could become a hazard to other road users like a mobile deer that we are shielding.

Last week we helped Sussex police with a broken down car on the A27 as there was a family of five sitting in their car in the fast lane.

We used our warning beacons to direct traffic while waiting for the police.

I know its easy to ignore flashing amber lights compared to blue lights but people like us, road recovery, council workers, road workers, bin men and many more need you to slow down and be aware that people may be in the road and help keep us safe.

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