Wild Animal Casualties

Statement from the national RSPCA:

"There is no truth whatsoever in the alarming rumour that the RSPCA has changed its policy regarding wildlife animals and that due to the credit crunch it automatically puts every animal it picks up to sleep.

Wildlife counts for a huge proportion of calls made to the RSPCA every year. Our inspectors and officers regularly respond to calls regarding injured or sick wild animals and birds. Every effort is made to ensure that these are taken to one of our own specialist wildlife centres, to a vet or one of the independent organisations that we work with and that they are rehabilitated and released where possible.

The RSPCA takes the decision to euthanise wildlife on a case by case basis, with the welfare of the animal in mind and to alleviate suffering."

On the current situation concerning non-native wild species, see DEFRA's review and the government's non-native species website (neither of these is controlled by the RSPCA).

Seeing Pink Swans

A genuine picture from the East Winch Wildlife Centre's Annual Report to local branches. The swan was from Brundall, Norfolk. The contaminant was never identified, but was incredibly difficult to wash off. Fortunately the treatment was successful, but the swan was in care for much longer than usual before it could be released back into the wild.

The Wildlife Centre's Open day this year will be Sunday 5 July, from 10 am to 4 pm. We visited the Centre a few years ago as a "works outing" for RSPCA Cambridge branch volunteers and it is very well worth seeing. They always need old towels as absorbent disposable bedding for animals, so if you are coming, it would be very helpful if you could collect up your unwanted old towels, flannels and blankets and bring them to donate. This saves the petrol which would be used if towels were donated elsewhere and had to be specially transported to the centre.