Approximately £2,000 worth of outdoor metal rehabilitation cages have been stolen from a rehabilitation site near Lower Dicker, East Sussex. The purpose built pens were only a year old, and are used during the busy spring and early summer periods to rehab injured and orphaned birds.
"The owner of the site says the cages disappeared back in November, December time and he though we had taken them away," said Trevor Weeks Rescue Co-ordinator and founder of East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service, "unfortunately we do not use these pens during the winter and when my colleague Alec arrived to check them and prepare them for the spring use, they were gone."
"What annoys me most of all is that these pens were paid for by kind donations from members of the public and from the hard work of our volunteers going out and fundraising," said Alec Anscombe, Duty Co-ordinator.
East Sussex WRAS is urgently in need of funds to replace the cages, which are made of rigid mesh and formed pens approximately 12ft by 8ft wide and 6ft tall. They had solid roof tops too. The pens were secured to the floor but have been cut from the base.
"I have reported the incident now to the Police but as they disappeared several months ago, I doubt that we will find out who took them" said Alec Anscombe. "as we are a small charity we do not have insurance for these cages. we will certainly be look at this but it is another expense taking money away from looking after the injured animals."
"I can’t believe they have been stolen, "added Trevor, "whoever has done this must be an extremely low and shallow person for doing so. I just hope that they have a big enough heart to return them to us. Over 75 birds were rehabbed in these two cages last year. I don’t know how we are going to be able to copy if we can’t replace them. Plus, we now need a new site to locate them which is safer then the current site."
Anyone wanting to make a donation towards WRAS can send a cheque payable to "East Sussex WRAS", to East Sussex WRAS Treasurer, C/o Ash Cottage, 73 Friday Street, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 8AY.
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Press Contacts: Trevor Weeks - 07931 523958 (private) and Alec Anscombe - 07974 085 950 (private)
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