TREVOR WEEKS: We have the highest number of wildlife casualties ever

My colleague Chris is going to be undertaking one of the toughest 100 kilometre non-stop runs in the country to raise money for WRAS.
WRAS's latest baby kestrel SUS-180620-104850001WRAS's latest baby kestrel SUS-180620-104850001
WRAS's latest baby kestrel SUS-180620-104850001

The race will take place on July 14 and 15 and journeys from the Chilterns to the mystical North Wessex Downs. Chris joined East Sussex WRAS in 2011 as a volunteer but is now the lead casualty manager working for WRAS.

Although Chris is paid minimum wage for 36 hours a week to work at the casualty centre he also volunteers his time as the duty rescue co-ordinator working up to 110 hours a week.

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Chris has undertaken the Ultra Marathon “Race to the Kings” between Arundel and Winchester and as well as the Beachy Head Marathon as well as other challenges but this is the longest and most challenging route yet.

Please sponsor him either by texting RTTS58 then the amount eg £5 to 70070 or via Just giving https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/christopher-wras1

At the end of last week WRAS had in its care more than 330 casualties, the highest number ever.

The list included:

• Ten rabbits

• One greater spotted woodpecker

• One mouse

• Ten foxes

• Two kestrels

• Seven tawny owls

• One chaffinch

• One bullfinch

• Seventeen sparrows

• Fifteen great tits

• Eighteen jackdaws

• Fourteen crows

• Eight magpies

• Five swallows

• One badger

• One gosling

• Twenty-four blackbirds

• Forty-four blue tits

• Thirteen starlings

• Eight dunnocks

• Twelve robins

• Two seagulls

• Fourteen ducks

• One warbler

• Thirty-six hedgehogs

• Twenty-one woodpigeons

•Two collared doves

• Forty-three feral pigeons

This is the highest number of casualties we have ever had in care at the same time.

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All the volunteers and staff are working very hard at the moment trying to help as many people and casualties as possible.

After last week’s vicious dog attack on the duck at Farne Close Pond in Hailsham, we have had a number of people contact us with information about the people responsible for horrendous and shockingly cruel and callous incident.

Please, if you have any information about anyone responsibly for any wildlife crime please contact Sussex Police by calling 101 or e-mail them on [email protected]

Thank you to the Southdowns Badger Group who have donated £500 towards WRAS’s badger rescue work.

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Thanks to Eastbourne Scottish Country Dance Club who raisde £100.

Also thank you to everyone who attending the village fete at Jevington at the weekend.

It was a lovely village fete and was a great success.

This coming Saturday June23, our gazebo and trailer will be at East Dean village fete.

We have named a gull Willy Wonka after getting covered in glucose outside a chocolate factory in Polegate last week.

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Staff at the factory tried to clean the gull but the sticky liquid just wouldn’t come off.

Out of concern they called in WRAS for help.

The gull was admitted and been cleaned up and will hopefully be releasable soon.

Other calls this week have included a dog attached hedgehog in Burgess Hill, a badly injured hedgehog at Forest View Maresfield, a duckling in Bishopstone, and a road casualty roe deer turned up in the back of a car late at night too.

A swan was wandering next to the A22 by Bannatyne’s Eastbourne last week.

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WRAS sent an ambulance which was able to rescue the swan which was then released down at Princes Park after a check over.

We have had our third baby kestrel admitted this week.

All three are getting on really well. The last one was found between Ringmer and Laughton.

We have also admitted a poorly duck from Hailsham and a woodpigeon with extensive wounds to it’s neck from Ringmer after it was caught by a cat.