Staff at Wadars animal rescue are so sure they can set their clocks by the influx of orphaned and injured seagull chicks that they are called out to rescue each year, that they even hold a competition to guess the exact day that the first one will come in!
Animal rescue officer, Elaine Sinclair commented; “The last week of May is usually when we can expect to have to rescue the first gull chick. The majority of them will have fallen from the roof where they have been nesting. By the end of the summer last year we had dealt with more than 600 birds. We refer to it as Silly Season, as we are literally run off our feet rescuing the chicks.”
Elaine added; “Wherever possible we will always put the gull chick back up onto the roof that it fell from, but sometimes that isn’t possible, and in those cases we get them checked by a vet and then either care for them at our own site, or find a place at another wildlife centre until they are old enough to be released.”
Support Wadars’ 50thanniversary by taking up the 50/50 Challenge
Wadars animal rescue, based in Ferring, has been rescuing wildlife and rehoming companion animals for the last 50 years, and is now calling on local people to help raise vital funds for its work by taking up its ‘50/50 Challenge’.
It costs Wadars more than £400,000 a year to provide its services in the local community, and the charity relies on voluntary contributions to bring that money in. More than 90p in every £1 spent by the charity goes directly on animal welfare.
Wadars Operations Manager, Tracy Cadman said; “The Wadars 50/50 Challenge is a really simple way for anyone to support us during our 50th anniversary year. Basically, we are just asking people to raise £50 for us in whichever way suits them. Even if people were able to donate just £1 a week then over the course of the year, they would reach the £50 target.
There are so many ways that people can raise the £50, for example they might want to make a one-off donation which would be amazing, alternatively they could take part in an event such as Walk for Wadars and raise the money through sponsorship or even hold a coffee morning with friends and family.”
Tracy added; “It might not seem as if £50 helps very much in the overall scheme of things, but it could pay for a wildlife pen in which to house an injured hedgehog until it could be released back into the wild; or for a cat that we take in for rehoming to receive a vet check and flea and worm treatment. Every £50 raised will affect the life of at least one animal in our care.”
Wadars will provide support for anyone taking up the 50/50 Challenge and in addition to advice, can supply sponsor forms; collecting tins; balloons; and blank posters for people to use to promote their challenge.
To find out more about taking up the Wadars 50/50 Challenge, call 01903 247111 or email enquiries@wadars.co.uk