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Muntjac found on
North Station roundabout |
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| At 10 o'clock one
night, a member of the public found a tiny muntjac fawn abandoned on the North
Station roundabout and kept her in a laundry basket while they phoned the
RSPCA. Sadly, the circumstances of her rescue suggest that her mother was not
as lucky as she was. Honeysuckle, as she was named, was brought to Wildlives
and has created a storm of media interest: her face has graced the pages of
both local and national newspapers, and she and Rosie dragged themselves out of
their beds one morning at 4am to greet the crew from |
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GMTV.The film crew, with presenter
Rachel Harrison, stayed for five hours, and an increasingly confident
Honeysuckle appeared live at intervals throughout the programme. The film crew
loved her. Another favourite was resident fox, Maggie. Rosie was gratified to
be told by camera man, Eddie Deer, that whilst he had worked with wildlife all
over the world, sitting holding Maggie as the sun came up was the most amazing
experience of his career |
| Poisoned
Fox |
| A second fox has been brought to
Wildlives with suspected poisoning. A post mortem was performed and samples
sent off to DEFRA. |
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| Dog Attacks |
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| Two hedgehogs were brought into Wildlives after
being savaged by dogs. One was in a pitiful state, having practically been
skinned from the waist up. The impact that infection can have was effectively
demonstrated when, the morning after the attack, his wounds - which had been
painstakingly cleaned by Wildlives staff - were found awash with pus and
necrotic material. Sadly, he had to be put to sleep. The second hedgehog had a
big wound on her bottom. However, she is recovering well. She has been put on
an extended course of antibiotics and has reached 900g in weight. The wound is
looking clean, and when vet, Ana Lapaz, is satisfied that it is clear of
infection, she will insert sutures. Casualties of dog attacks are relatively
unusual at Wildlives - the culprits are generally cats. However, the principles
are the same:the bacteria |
| in the claws of either a dog or a
cat have the potential to kill a small animal like a hedgehog - and it takes
only the tiniest of puncture wounds to introduce that bacteria into the
bloodstream. If your dog attacks a hedgehog, you must bring the hedgehog in for
treatment - even if there are no visible wounds. Prevention is, of course,
better than cure: if you know your dog will attack hedgehogs, muzzle it before
you let it out at night - or take it out on a lead. |
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| Hedgehog Fosterers |
| It is hedgehog season for
Wildlives. As the temperature drops in October-November, young hedgehogs that
were part of a second brood and have not put on weight properly, or older
hedgehogs that have had difficulty finding food, develop serious problems. They
become susceptible to parasites, or get so weak that they are unable to avoid
physical danger. Once these hedgehogs have been treated, they cannot simply be
released. They must be at least 600g before they can hibernate safely: a small
hedgehog that goes into hibernation may never wake up. This is why we are
looking for volunteer hedgehog fosterers, who will take a hedgehog and look
after it until spring, keeping it in a warm place to prevent it from going into
hibernation. This is no mean feat: hedgehogs need to be cleaned out twice a day
and kept constantly supplied with food and water. If you think you have the
time and the facilities to do this, please get in contact with us. |
| New Resident |
Food Appeal |
| Rosie has been pleased to be able to give a good home to a
3 year old collie called Kizzy. Kizzy came from a local dog home, having been
rescued from cruelty and neglect. She has settled in quickly |
We are currently full to the rafters with hedgehogs. All
donations of good quality cat or dog food (no fish) this Christmas would be
much appreciated. |
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Newsletter Editor: Ruth
info@wildlives.org.uk |
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All content © Wildlives Wildlife Rescue and
Rehabilitation Centre |