69 incidents in 48 hours

A voluntary charity has been pushed to its limits after receiving calls about 69 incidents in 48 hours involving 76 casualties. Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday (3rd and 4th June) volunteer rescuers from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service has received calls concerning 69 incidents across the county.

At one time WRAS had 8 rescuers on the road responding to casualties.

Throughout the last two days WRAS has dealt with: 10 foxes and cubs, 11 gulls and chicks, 5 blackbirds, 5 crows, 9 blue tits, 2 deer and baby deer, 1 magpie, 2 rooks, 2 starlings, 2 sparrows, 6 swans and cygnets, 8 pigeons and baby pigeons, 1 wood pigeon, 1 duckling, 1 door mouse, robins, 2 jackdaws, 2 badgers and 2 doves.

This is the highest record for the number of incidents dealt with in two consecutive days.

Some rescues like four cygnets which became entangled in netting in Pevensey Bay were heart warming and nice releases but others included a swan at Egerton Park, Bexhill which was attacked by a dog and unfortunately killed. The number of cat attacked birds was fairly high too.

A number of adult and young foxes were road casualties, two badgers were dealt with, WRAS even received calls about injured deer. Only a handful of these incidents did not involve rescuers attending on site.

"This has been an amazingly busy period for our rescuers, Tim McKenzie has been answering the phone and in addition to our usual rescuers we have thrown a numbe of our new rescuers in at the deep end to help cover this busy period" said Founder Trevor Weeks.

"WRAS is getting a really good reputation because of the speed in which it deals with emergency incidents but the cost of running our service is increasing due as we now keep hold of casualties and deal with much more rehabilitation plus the massive increase in fuel costs. We are also getting a good reputation as we give casualties a try, and will evaluate them after 24 hours of emergency veterinary treatment and are pulling animals through which previously vets said would not survive. We are find some people are now calling WRAS as they know we will help and not put animals down unnecessarily. One sanctuary in East Sussex even puts foxes to sleep when they have more than 10% mange coverage. WRAS has successfully treat and released foxes which have had over 60% mange coverage and monitored the for their survival after release too. Its not wonder so many people are now calling WRAS." said Trevor Weeks.

"We have a good working relationship with specialist organisations and veterinary consultants like Alan Jones the specialist Avian vet and the specialist veterinary staff at St Tiggywinkles and the Swan Sanctuary too, we as WRAS changes from being just an ambulance service to a full ambulance and rehabilitation service we are trying to ensure we give the casualties which we deal with the best possible chance of survival once released." said Tim McKenzie WRAS’s Casualty Care Manager, " this does however cost money and we do need companies to sponsor our work and people to help us by donating by standing order."

To help us continue with your vital work, please consider helping us by volunteering or donating online. You can also send a donation to WRAS’s Treasurer Peter Mortimer at Ash Cottage, 73 Friday Street, Eastbourne, East Sussex, BN23 8AY.

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Press Contact: Trevor Weeks, East Sussex WRAS, 07931 523958

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