Jimmy fox finds relief

Wildlives received a phone call from a lady near Tiptree who had seen a fox cub in a very poor state. Although Wildlives volunteers are too busy with animals here at the centre to make collections or go out catching animals, we were able to lend her our fox trap, and it wasn't long before a very sad little fox was caught in it. He was immediately brought to Wildlives, where he was diagnosed as having sarcoptic mange. As a result, not only was he almost bald, with only a little hair left on top of his head, but his crusted and inflamed skin was covered with wounds where he had chewed and bitten himself in an effort to relieve the terrible itching. His eyes were also infected and full of pus. He immediately entered intensive care, where he was rehydrated as well as starting treatment for the mange. Now that his medications are taking effect, he is feeling much more comfortable and is active and eating well, although it will take a while for him to regain his proper appearance! More Pictures of Jimmy

Vole family successfully reared

A member of the public brought in a litter of voles after a cat attack. They were only about a week old and less than an inch long. Although one was already dead, many of our young volunteers dedicated a great deal of time and effort during their school holidays to rearing the remaining three tiny orphans. They were rewarded for their efforts by seeing three healthy voles disappearing into the undergrowth to start their lives in the wild.

Partridge chicks being reared in the hospital Volunteer crisis continues Although Wildlives has been officially closed for admissions for several weeks, in order to try to reduce the number of inpatients to a manageable level, nonetheless casualties have continued to arrive, often without warning, and on some occasions dumped on the doorstep. During the period we were 'closed', over two hundred casualties and orphans were actually admitted. Volunteers are still desperately needed, so if you do have some free time please do consider helping out. Among all the many other animals and birds, this year has seen an unusual number of juvenile sparrowhawks arriving in a collapsed state, in spite of the abundance of food this year due to the weather. There is still one in residence, while all the others have been successfully released back into the wild.

Animal updates

In spite of all the effort lavished on him, Charlie fox, sadly, will never return to the wild. After his intensive course of therapy and acupuncture he regained the feeling in his leg. However, after such a long time this was too much for him to cope with, and, confused by the new sensations, he chewed his leg so much that it is damaged beyond repair. However, after much discussion at Wildlives, everyone agreed that he still has a quality of life and he will be a permanent resident in one of the large purpose-built fox pens.

Stargazer, the tawny owl with a broken wing, this week had the pin removed and is doing well. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Please help us to help the animals

When a wildlife casualty or orphan is found, often a few hours can make the difference between a happy or sad ending. Many people, with the best of intentions, try to care for the animals themselves and then consult Wildlives when it is far too late. It is always better to seek advice as soon as possible! However, please do understand that Wildlives staff are all unpaid volunteers, and even people as dedicated as Rosie do need a few hours sleep occasionally!

Newsletter editor: kathy.jinkings@ntlworld.com

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