Number of calls has dropped, but casualties are more varied

Chris and I rushed out to reports of a very young deer which had gone under a car just north of Ripe village at 6pm last week. Once on site we searched for the deer along the embankment and eventually found it trying to get through some stock fencing. The young female roe deer was in thorny vegetation on narrow embankment above a ditch. We managed to surround the deer but the very agile youngster managed to escape the first capture attempt being able to move through the vegetation that unfortunately blocked our path. A second try was successful despite the ear piercing screams from the deer. I was then able to pass her down to Chris who carried the youngster to the waiting ambulance. Back at WRAS’s casualty centre the deer was assessed better and emergency medication was given and our vet Mike called in to repair a nasty muscular tear to a thigh. Another wound was sutured further down the leg and a third needed bandaging. Deer specialists Chris and Sylvia were called and they collected the deer and took her home to recover from her sedation. The outcome is questionable but we are hoping for the best. Some really good team work by everyone involved. A road casualty duck had to be admitted earlier this week from Curtain Hill Hadlow Down. The poor creature was found around midnight so rescuers attended and found the duck had some road burn and a few puncture wounds which were cleaned up back at WRAS’s hospital. Staff at our charity shop in Eastbourne were shocked when they found an injured young woodpigeon had been left in a carrier bag on the handle of the shop front door. We have no idea how long it had been there. The staff called our rescue line and the young bird was collected. Sadly suffering from a very painful fractured leg as well as nasty lacerations to his throat the poor bird had to be put to sleep. Also there has been a degree of good intentions here, leaving any animal or bird to suffer is an offence. The person should have either called our rescue line or taken the birds to the emergency vets. If we were not able to open the shop this morning for any reason the poor pigeon would have suffered incredibly. Rescuers have attended to a swan and two cygnets after being seen wandering around a busy road and then into a field. The swans were clearly in distress, and the owner of the land kept them in a field for rescuers to arrive. After some assistance from the public all three were secured in the ambulance and taken back to WRAS’s hospital. It was a mystery as to where they could have come from. As a result they had to be transferred up to the Swan Sanctuary at Shepperton. We have had some busy evenings of calls again. These have included a muntjac deer attacked by a dog near Battle. Sadly its horrendous injuries lead to him passing away just before rescuers arrived. I don’t often feel sick but those injuries brought me close to it, being so tired doesn’t help either. Also a road casualty badger near Three Cups Corner Heathfield, again sadly passed away, and a catted sparrow in Langney. A pipistrelle bat was collected from Pet Doctors in Lewes and delivered to Jenny Clark at the Sussex Bat Hospital, where she showed us the baby brown long eared bat which rescuer Chris delivered to her the day before. Plus a baby pigeon taken on from Lewes Prison but has unfortunately been fed milk which isn’t good for any wild bird. Rescuers Chris, Mitch and Daryl were called to a gull struggling to stay afloat in Sovereign Harbour. With the help of two members of the public they were able to rescue the gull using long poles and nets. The line was removed and no hooks were found so after a check up the gull was taken to Bird Aid for some TLC. Thank you so much the two men in a boat who kindly helped us. Rescuers have also been out to rescue a young badger after he fell into a court yard in Old London Road Hastings. Luckily suffering no injuries, he was released straight away.