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I can’t believe that it is so long since I have done a blog and apologies to anyone I have disappointed.  You probably remember that earlier this year our second Otter cub, Hope moved into the otter enclosure on her own as there was no other otter her age in care. It seemed so sad to see her out there on her own.

Hope on her own in the otter pen

4 months later another otter cub called Ozzy came to us having been found caught in a net in the Taunton area. He was fun to have around in the kitchen and once weaned I wanted to put him with Hope but we had to wait for an empty casualty pen with a camera that we could put the two otters together in an area that belonged to neither. Sadly is has been a difficult year to find release sites for our badger cubs so it was October before we were able to put them together. It really was time to get Ozzy out of the kitchen!

Ozzy soon learnt to take the plug during his bath!

Still very cute

But time he was outside !!

24/7 came and filmed the two cubs going together and we watched them over their first night to make sure there were no arguments. We also use the baby listening units so that if there had been any fighting we would have heard it. Any way all went well and it was Friday 30^th October when they finally were put back together in the otter pen. I have gone out each night to feed them trying to make sure that they both get a fair share of the food which is thrown over the fence to them.

I have been leaving the lights on over there so that I could watch them and I have glimpsed one or the other in the pool but never together. Then last night I spent most of the evening watching them play in the water. It was fabulous to see them chasing each other around and swimming together through the tunnels that we put in the pond for them to play with.

It will be another year before they will be ready for release but I’m so happy to know that they will each other for company, someone to play with and no doubt – someone to snuggle up to on those cold winter days. Hope and Ozzy have each other now !

Derek is spoiling Albert rotten but Albert still is not a happy chappie when you leave him in a room. Rocky is leaving his foot alone today so perhapshis anti-biotics are calming the infection down.

I forgot to tell you that the heron went home yesterday so that was a success. A deer came in late last night. Graeme, one of our volunteers had been to fetch it and got here just around 10.30. I dressed its wounds as it had already seen a vet who had put a pressure bandage on the wounds on the leg but wanted it removed once she got here.

She’s got some nasty wounds from a dog attack and is fairly out of it. I was surprised to see that she made it through the night but Lisa has had a quick look but said to wait and see. I can see that she is moving around the pen on the cameras but she is still in shock.

The Dartmoor crew got home about 3 p.m. Very exhausted but no doubt, proud that they made it. I’m sure there will be some stories to tell tomorrow!

Derek and I managed to do a bit of gardening but not enough to make an impression. I was quite late going down to do the deer and was amused to see that the badger cubs were all waiting for their food.

Badger huddle waiting for dinner!

Another late callout tonight as some people brought in a badger that had been in a road accident. We took it in to the vets as it had suffered head trauma. With no obvious injuries, it has come home having had anti-biotics and steroids to reduce the swelling on the head. I’ve made him as comfortable as I can for the night.

Ozzy had to have a late swim and bottle and I’ve just checked the RTA badger now 1.40 a.m. and certainly he is not worse. I hope both the deer and the badger make it through the night.

It seemed so quiet without Albert home first thing in the morning. It’s always him who instigates the howling pack out into the garden as soon as we get up. Liz, the vet left a message to pick him up at 11 a.m. and then we could have a chat about the different cubs we have had problems with.

Managed to get a couple of letters done but there were call outs almost as soon as the day started and it’s surprising how long it takes working your way down the list of response drivers until you get one that can help – still we usually find one !!

Ozzy took his first bottle very well and enjoyed a run around the kitchen until it was time to go back to bed.

I took Rocky in to see Liz as well as his claw is looking infected. He just won’t leave it alone and only has to be left for a few minutes for him to get the bandage off. I didn’t even trust him on the journey in so anyone following a corsa van with a huge dog looking out of the back window with a great collar blanking all views, it was Rocky and me!!

Liz has put Rocky on antibiotics and poor little Albert is not allowed to jump up on chairs, no stairs and controlled walking so have had to put a dog cage in the kitchen and in my office as he is so quick at sneaking out. I’ll have to teach him to howl more in tune, bless him.

Albert - not a happy chappy when in the cage

Lots of other call outs during the day. Luckily Maggie was in this afternoon to do the phones so there was a short respite. I had someone ring up about a mallard duck with 3 ducklings in Macclesfield! Managed to pass that one on to Lower Moss Hospital at Knutsford. It’s really useful having so many contacts.

 Ozzy had his first swimming lesson in the bath this evening and loved it. He did about 8 lengths and then thought it was time to come out!

Ozzy in the bath - look at his webbed foot!

After the 8 a.m. meeting, it was straight into the vets for Albert to have his operation on his leg. It’s going to be a long convalescence which he is not going to enjoy at all. The nurse had to pick him as he refused to go with her. Makes you feel so guilty !

Ozzy is taking his bottle well and we had some fresh trout delivered today that are small enough for him to eat so he has been a very happy little otter today. He likes to hide in the basket in the cubby hole and I managed to get a picture of him when he was sound asleep. He’s a great time waster. 

Ozzy asleep

Here we go again. Big headline news in the Western Morning News as they think that a scientist may have contracted Bovine TB from the badgers. Of course this means that we are all going to catch tb and die. I should have thought that seeing as the staff at Woodchester Park have been carrying out research at this centre for 30 years – catching the badgers up at least twice year, transporting them to the centre, taking faecal, sputum and blood samples that if this is the first one to get the disease, then it shows how unlikely it is to happen to people who do not have such a hands on situation.

We’ve been dealing with badgers for over 20 years, cleaning up after them, blood testing them and cleaning wounds and a few of those probably did have Bovine TB and yet we are ok. So don’t listen to the scaremongering.

I have got a fairy god-mother. She has promised to do some ironing for me and I really appreciate it!!

The vets rang at lunchtime to say Albert had had his operation but was to stay in over night so that was a sigh of relief. Sadly I am in charge of Rocky again as Simon has gone as back up to the team on the Dartmoor Dare. I have to bandage Rocky’s leg everyday to stop him chewing his claw. He’s sporting green today. When he hasn’t got a bandage on, he has to wear an Elizabethan collar to stop him from chewing and I shan’t be surprised if Albert has to sport one as well. How ridiculous will they look !!

Rocky sporting a green bandage today!

On walking the dogs around the field, I noticed that already the hawthorn berries are turning red – a sign that autumn is on the way. My favourite time of year.

Hawthorn berries turning red - soon be Autumn

I had a text from Debbie to say that they had finished walking but were very tired as they had got lost and had further to walk. They are also very wet so they must have had rain – we didn’t get any here. Sleeping out in the open tonight with no tents, army rations for dinner this evening – they’re not going to look their best tomorrow!!

Ozzy the otter cub, is doing well. He is taking his bottle about every four hours and is also taking a little bit of fish so it won’t be long before he is weaned. He is a little bit more bold at moving around the kitchen but is still nervous when anyone else comes in the room. H e has just started to play and soon whistles when he thinks it’s time that he should have his food or come out in the kitchen from the cubby hole.

Ozzy takes his bottle well

Ozzy already interested in water

Although things are slowing down a little in the hospital room, there does seem to be a huge influx of pigeons. As you can see, they aren’t the prettiest of babies and it’s some time before their feathers cover their long beak which is why so many people don’t recognise what they are!

Baby Pigeon - not the prettiest of babies!

They have a very long beak until their feathers cover it over

Hopefully all the participants for the Dartmoor Dare are having an early night – they are all meeting up tomorrow at 7.30 a.m. to start their 45 mile hike ( rather them than me!)