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Today, yet again, there has been a constant stream of people clutching cardboard boxes
containing hedgehogs coming through the door, mainly juveniles again but also one adult covered in tar. After much deliberation we decided that euthanasia was the kindest option as he was so encrusted in black, sticky tar that we had a job to even get his legs away from his body, he was so well stuck! The other problem was that his skin had already started to burn where it was sticking to him so we thought it was best not to prolong his suffering.
We have taken in two owls today - an adult little owl which fell down a chimney into a lit fire! Ouch!! Luckily he was rescued before it was too late, but quite a lot of his feathers have been singed and his feet are slightly burnt, but nothing that shouldn't heal with daily treatment and antibiotics. He will have to remain with us for some time though, if he makes it, as we won't be able to release him until his feathers have been replaced with new ones.
The other owl admitted today was a fluffy, baby barn owl weighing only 200 grams, very late in.JPG)
the year. He was found down a rabbit hole - what he was doing down there I haven't a clue but I suppose he was just trying to find a hiding place away from the bright daylight after having fallen from his nest. The normal advice for people finding owlets on the ground is to leave them alone as they are perfectly capable of getting back up trees or into barns into their nests, but this one was nowhere near a nest site and would certainly not have survived if he had been left. He is also extremely thin indicating that he has been away from parents for some time. We gave him warmed fluids as soon as he came in and put him in a heated brooder to warm up slowly. Since this morning he has taken some tiny pieces of chopped chick which we have offered with tweezers, but he is very thin and weak. We will see if he survives the night!
containing hedgehogs coming through the door, mainly juveniles again but also one adult covered in tar. After much deliberation we decided that euthanasia was the kindest option as he was so encrusted in black, sticky tar that we had a job to even get his legs away from his body, he was so well stuck! The other problem was that his skin had already started to burn where it was sticking to him so we thought it was best not to prolong his suffering.We have taken in two owls today - an adult little owl which fell down a chimney into a lit fire! Ouch!! Luckily he was rescued before it was too late, but quite a lot of his feathers have been singed and his feet are slightly burnt, but nothing that shouldn't heal with daily treatment and antibiotics. He will have to remain with us for some time though, if he makes it, as we won't be able to release him until his feathers have been replaced with new ones.
The other owl admitted today was a fluffy, baby barn owl weighing only 200 grams, very late in
.JPG)
the year. He was found down a rabbit hole - what he was doing down there I haven't a clue but I suppose he was just trying to find a hiding place away from the bright daylight after having fallen from his nest. The normal advice for people finding owlets on the ground is to leave them alone as they are perfectly capable of getting back up trees or into barns into their nests, but this one was nowhere near a nest site and would certainly not have survived if he had been left. He is also extremely thin indicating that he has been away from parents for some time. We gave him warmed fluids as soon as he came in and put him in a heated brooder to warm up slowly. Since this morning he has taken some tiny pieces of chopped chick which we have offered with tweezers, but he is very thin and weak. We will see if he survives the night!
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