TREVOR WEEKS: Spring has definitely sprung

Spring has definitely sprung this week. The leaves on the trees and bushes have really started to burst into life and at the same time, we are now getting loads of young birds being admitted into our care too.
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Our orphan team members have now kicked into gear and have a number of blackbird and thrush youngsters, as well as a finch and a young crow to rear.

They also have a poorly owlet that is being carefully monitored now.

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A horse rider in Abbots Wood near Hailsham found the poor creature.

Rescuer Chloe has been out to collect a very muddy hedgehog from Southfields, Polegate, after he was found stuck in a hole.

A little muddy from his ordeal, he also has a cough, so like any hedgehog that comes into our care he will be checked for internal parasites and treated before he can go home.

A fox cub became entangled in netting in a garden of a house in Stone Cross near Pevensey just after midnight on Saturday morning.

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I rushed to the scene after reports of the fox making a lot of noise after becoming entangled in netting.

It must have been about 1:15am when I arrived on site and quickly discovered a three-week-old fox cub entangled in camouflage netting attached to an old children’s play house.

I cut around the fox cub first of all and then lifted the cub to a blanket on the floor where I can see and control the fox cub better.

I was then able to start assessing the cub and see how the netting was attached.

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I was able to remove the remaining netting, cutting it away using bandage scissors.

I was really pleased that the netting was not tightly attached so there was no chance of ligature wounds or pressure necrosis developing.

I had let the cub run around inside a large metal cage to ensure it was using all its legs properly and was not disorientated, and then moved the cage closer to the den entrance.

I encouraged the cub to leave the cage and he quickly ran off and into the den.

I finally returned home about 2:30am.

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A huge thank you to our staff, volunteers and the public for your help in searching for fox cubs in Granville Road, Eastbourne.

Mum was hit by a vehicle on Tuesday night but sadly, despite everyone’s best efforts, the cubs were not found.

It was made harder as a result of another couple of vixens nearby with cubs which are starting to come out and play, but we were able to rule them out as being abandoned.

Saturday night turned into a busy evening with hedgehogs rescued in Battle and Barcombe, an injured crow in Ringmer, a road casualty sparrow flying around inside a car in Hailsham and a badly injured pigeon in Seaford.

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There was also a catted young wood pigeon with canker in Buxted.

WRAS has over wintered nearly 100 hedgehogs this winter, lower than normal but luckily mild weather at the end of last year made it possible to release a number of hedgehogs we would otherwise have ended up overwintering.

We have started releasing them back to the wild.

You can watch Kathy releasing two back to the wild in Uckfield on our You Tube Channel at www.youtube.com/user/eastsussexwras.

We have also admitted a mouse from Burgess Hill with a wound to its back.

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Sunday night I rushed out to a road casualty badger on Framfield Road, Uckfield, but despite being on site within 15 minutes the poor creature had passed away.

Another mouse was rescued in Carnforth Crescent, Eastbourne, with a puncture wound to its side on last week too.

Please be careful when strimming around your property.

We rescued a hedgehog in The Holt, Hailsham, with nasty infected injuries to its face, eye missing, part of the lower jaw missing and extensive tissue damage.

Sadly it is having to be put to sleep.

They are coming out of hibernation so as you start your spring clean of your garden, please take care and think: Hedgehog.