4 badger casualties launch expansion plans for wildlife hospital

WRAS’s current Casualty Care Unit is a single room about 6 metres by 4 metres in size and can accommodate up to 27 casualties. This all too frequently is full or the larger cages suitable for Badgers and Foxes are full restricting when can be accommodated. WRAS is now looking at expanding into a new unit within the same building as the current unit at Whitesmith which is approximately 5-6 times the size.

6pm Sunday evening WRAS rescuer Murrae Hume was sitting in a house in Greenway, Eastbourne, waiting for an injured badger which was a regular visitor to a garden. The badger turned out to be a young girl and had damage to one of her front legs and territorial fighting wound above her tail. She was taken to the out of hours vets at Bexhill for treatment and is now in WRAS’s Casualty Care Centre. She has been named “Oreo” as this months casualty name theme is “Biscuits”.

The second badger was reported at 8am on Monday morning reported as being a possible dog attack in Northium Road, Eastbourne. WRAS rescuer Tony Neads rushed to the scene and was able to catch the badger which was curled up under a hedge. The young boy badger had one of his eared ripped off and a territorial bite wound above his tail again. He was taken to Henley House Vets in Uckfield where he had to be sedated and his wounds cleaned up and his ear and nose checked. He was then transported to WRAS’s Casualty Care Centre.

The third badger was reported on the A22 Hailsham By-pass at about 12noon Monday, fairly close to 3 already dead badgers road casualty, just north of Hempstead Lane. Trevor Weeks and David Breden attend in WRAS’s ambulance but unfortunately this one died just after WRAS’s ambulance arrived. It is thought that this badger may have been hit much earlier in the morning and been lying as if dead but a cyclist stopped and check the badger to find it was still alive.

The fourth badger was at 10.30pm on Monday night. Sussex Police called WRAS after receiving a call from a house-bound resident in Southcliff on Eastbourne Seafront. The badger had spent over an hour running round a small basement garden area which was surrounded by low walls. WRAS rescuer Trevor Weeks and Kathy Martyn attended in WRAS Ambulance and met rescuer Monica and Brian Russell on site. The badger was small and a little boy with bites to his ear and a territorial bite mark above his tail again, his wounds were treated at WRAS’s Casualty Care Centre and will be seen by a vet today (Tuesday). Volunteers eventually returned home about at almost 1am.

It is certainly unusual for us to rescue and have in so many badgers at one time. We have had to move casualties out and make space to accommodate these casualties” said Trevor Weeks.

WRAS is currently looking to expand its Casualty Care Centre at Whitesmith and is taking on a site which is 5-6 times bigger than it current centre. “This new centre will really help and allow us to have more casualties in care plus provide better facilities for them too. We are currently limited to 3 badgers and foxes at any one time, in our new facility we hope this will be more than double.”

WRAS is hoping to move into its new facilities within the next 2 months. “There is a lot of cleaning and decorating which needs doing, there is flooring, electrical work, plumbing, internal partition walls, new doors, lighting, new kitchen units and sinks and loads more which need purchasing and installing before we can fully move in and starting to expand. We will have to take it slowly expanding and raise the funds for the new items bit by bit but we are hoping we can gradually expand over the next couple of years and will cost over £40,000 to equip the new hospital completely, but we are still working on the full costings” said Trevor.

Anyone interested in helping by purchasing items for use in the new hospital are being asked to contact WRAS Project Manager David Breden on 07847-010451 or to email Trevor Weeks. Donations to WRAS can also be made online.

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Press Contacts: Trevor Weeks, Director, East Sussex WRAS, 07931 523958
David Breden, Project Manager, East Sussex WRAS, 07847 010451

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