East Sussex WRAS is experiencing its busiest year ever, especially for evening and night time rescues.
WRAS’s Duty Rescue Co-ordinators Trevor Weeks and Chris Riddington have been working round the clock this summer to help wildlife in need.
Trevor and Chris take turns doing two weeks on and two weeks off covering the out of hours emergencies from 10pm till 9am. “This summer has been amazingly busy for us, throughout most of May and June there was hardly a night without us being on the road till gone 1.30am. At least once a week Trevor or I were on the road till gone 4am” said Chris.
Normally night time rescues occur more frequently during the spring and autumn, but this year the level of night time calls has greatly increased with up to 7 emergency rescues occurring after 10pm at night.
“It gets very tiring and exhausting,dove and” said Trevor “On Friday 16th June I was called out to an injured collared dove at Broadoak Brede at 11:30pm, I arrived about 12:30am, driving back I received a call about an injured hedgehog in Seaford and then a dog attacked hedgehog at Northium. The Northium call was only a few miles up the road from my previous call but I was already half way back so had to turn round. At 2:40am, I eventually arrived at Seaford for the hedgehog which I then drove back to our Casualty Centdove and two hedgehogs were given emergency first aid and made comfortable for the rest of the night. After filling in the paperwork I eventually left the Casualty Centre just after 4am and was finally in bed about 4.30am” said Trevor.
A Beautiful Hobby was admitted after being found grounded in Barcombe. X-rays showed a nasty fracture femur. As a result a specialist operation was required so the bird was driven through the night by Chris to Vale Wildlife Rescue in Gloucestershire because of how busy WRAS has been during the day. Chris eventually got back to his home in Eastbourne just after 4.30am.
On Tuesday 20th June WRAS had an unprecedented number of rescues needing attending on site with 23 Herring Gulls being rescued. There was also a fledgling Tawny Owl which has fallen out of a tree dehydrated and disorientated at the National Trust Property Sheffield Park Gardens. Three dehydrated young hedgehogs out of their nest during the day time in Polegate. A young starling fallen from a nest and handed into Eastbourne Vets. A badly injured Jackdaw which blood in its throat in Eastbourne. A collapsed badger in Bishopstone, which rescuer Tony Neads kindly went to on his day off. A baby swift and a collared dove were been handed in at our Reception. An injured pigeon rescued at Bodium Castle. A female Pipistrelle bat at Berwick found with a dead baby which has now been taken to Jenny Clark at the Sussex Bat Hospital for specialist care. A baby sparrow fallen from its nest in Uckfield as well as a baby nestling starling at Cooksbridge and a catted starling in Polegate.
"Our volunteers are working extremely hard at the moment, trying to help as many people and casualties as possible, but we can only stretch our resources so far" said Trevor.
If you can help fund the work of WRAS please do so by donating via their website www.wildlifeambulance.org or by posting a donation to East Sussex WRAS, PO Box 2148, Seaford, BN25 9DE.
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