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Community Home

My little otter cub took his first bottle this morning. It is a ‘he’ but a name has not come to mind yet! He is very lonely and crying a lot so I have spent a lot of time in the kitchen today. I can hear him whistling just while I am down in the office working.

Another group of fox cubs are going for release tonight. It makes you realise that summer is nearly over. I’m also panicking as we have hardly any badger cub release sites so far – there is so much bad press about badgers and yet these poor cubs have been through stringent tests and yet people still aren’t prepared to take them on. Do let us know if you have any thoughts on release sites for them.

Great long gangly thing

The heron, which was very poorly, is now out in one of the large aviaries and looks quite odd perched high in the enclosure. We tend to see them standing still in the rhines waiting for eels and fish to swim by or see the lopping flight as they take off over the fields. It won’t be long before he is fit to go.

Stuart the fallow fawn, going to a fabulous new home

I have managed to arrange for Stuart, the fallow fawn, to go to the Chestnut Centre in Derbyshire. As a new bloodline he will be valuable to the herd and hopefully will father many fawns for them. He is totally wild which is what they want but they have a female that they are introducing to the herd at the moment so he will join her for a slow introduction to the herd. The Heap family have helped us out many times in the past with homes for fallow fawns and otters in the past. He could not wish for a nicer place to go to !

The day started with a radio show on Somerset Sound in Taunton. It’s a chatty programme that gives us chance to air our views about items in the paper and other things besides! I’m hoping someone may have heard my appeal for 4 square metres of standing wheat to furnish my harvest mice tanks but am less hopeful about someone being able to arrange a wing walking opportunity that I foolishly said I would like to do. 

When I got back to our Centre, one of our volunteers who is very knowledgeable in the wiring of cameras came and sorted a screen out to show our short DVD to visitors in reception. People still come out thinking that we are open every day so at least they can browse in the shop and see the short film. We hope eventually to show the web cams that are in many of our pens.

 We have had a heron brought in as a casualty. They are such stunning birds and it’s quite unbelievable how large they are and yet some people

Heron - such big birds

never ever see them. Around here with the rhines, they are often seen standing in the water waiting for a fish or eel to pass by.

Albert has damaged the muscle in his leg and is carrying it up all the time. We were told to put him on pain relief and to take him in to the surgery on Monday. Poor little chap has to be kept restricted which he absolutely hates and with Rocky following me everywhere, I’m sure Albert must think I have changed allegiance .

It took me almost 5 solid hours just to re stock and clear the shop in reception and it was nearly 2 a.m. by the time I had finished. I was actually the last one to bed ( Derek usually falls asleep in the chair ) but seeing as there had been no cricket due to rain, he had had a more restful day.

The Heron Gallery in Weston Super Mare is holding an exciting exhibition in aid of Secret World Wildlife Rescue. Featuring originals by local and national artists, this is a must for all art lovers, animal fans and Secret World supporters alike. For information and tickets to the Preview Evening, 6.30 to 9.00pm, Friday 5th December, please contact Jamie at Secret World. The exhibition is open to the public from 1pm to 5pm, 6th to the 12th December.