New Year’s Day was a shock to the system for Toni and Puddle as I moved them out to the Millie Block! They had both become very proficient swimmers which hopefully you will see from the pictures below. I had by now given them almost a couple of hours play time around the kitchen morning and evening as they were becoming more energetic. New Years Eve there was a refusal to return to the cubby hole so I gave up and they spent their last night charging around the kitchen while we slept!
Under water swimming !
Making ripples !
The pen that Toni and Puddle are now in gives them water available to them all the time. There is a drying area ( with fresh towels every day!) under the heat lamp as they still squirm themselves dry. They have a log pile and a tunnel to play in and two sleeping chambers – one full of hay and the other with not quite so much hay but a heat lamp hanging over it with a connecting tunnel. Despite the cold weather they both seem very happy and sleep curled up in the hay box so once the weather breaks they can probably go into an outside pen. ( I’m glad they aren’t in one at the moment).
Water available all the time
Pampered drying area
log pile and tunnel to play in
Two chambers and orange feeding tray
The other two otters are still swimming in their pool. I left the lights on as usual on Monday evening and you could see them both sliding around on the ice and swimming underneath it when they managed to get into the water by the tunnels that keep the ice thin due to movement. They don’t seem to even notice the cold weather! They definitely eat more so it’s a good job that we have some large fish for Hope and Ozzy to keep up their energy levels.
We have had several casualties due to the cold weather. A very sad fox with mange is in at the moment and I think is very grateful to be curled up in a warm duvet with a heat lamp. I think he will be with us for quite a while to get him back to good health – still he is eating well.
Happy to be warm and dry
Simon, Lorrie and Judith went out in the snow this afternoon to a swan with an injured wing. They needed to take the Kayak out to get him up on the land. Some of the ice was so thick in areas that there were ice skaters out there. Must admit that seems a bit dangerous to me. I worried enough over the rescue but the swan was captured and brought back with three very cold but jubilant members of staff.
Swan in freezing water with injured wing
swan walking on ice towards dry land
We had some interesting information with regards to the badger digging that took place last Monday at Gold Corner, East Huntspill. It’s so good when people ring in with snippets of information that sometimes may seem unimportant but it can very often be the last piece of the jigsaw that the police are looking for. Please, pick up that phone if any of you think you may know someone or a vehicle that may be involved in wildlife crime. We will always pass information on to the Wildlife Crime Unit.
Lisa, our Animal Care Manager has now left and in fact has already stated her journey and has arrived in Thailand, her first stop before a year out in Australia. We all wish her well and are thinking of her. There will therefore be a new team facing what will no doubt be another busy year at Secret World.
Happy New Year and may 2010 be a healthy and peaceful one for you and PLEASE keep supporting us – we need you !
STOP PRESS>>>>>
I was just finishing my blog when Marie who is on duty radioed me to tell me a dead fox had been dumped by the front door with it’s tail cut off. If they think it’s going to stop us trying to make people realise the cruelty that goes on in our countryside, they’ve got another think coming. My only regret is that they used a beautiful animal in good condition to make their point. Such sad people.
Sick people's idea of funny?
Tail cut off - a tradition of hunting
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