Gower Bird Hospital - News

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An illustrated talk at Pennard Parish Hall (opposite Pennard Church)
TUESDAY 22nd April 2008
Doors open 7.30pm Talk starts 8pm Admission free
Raffle & Refreshments (all proceeds to Gower Bird Hospital)

Hedgehogs are some of the most frequent patients at Gower Bird Hospital. Combining stills images and video footage, Simon Allen (co-founder of the hospital) offers a rare insight into the lives of these fascinating wild garden visitors and our work with them. There will also be an opportunity for Questions & Answers.

The 2007 Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition Symposium took place on 17 November, hosted by Lower Moss Wood
Wildlife Hospital in Cheshire. The annual event, which takes place at various locations around the UK, was once
more a great success, with a capacity crowd of almost 100 delegates participating.
Subject specialists in various areas of wildlife rehabilitation presented throughout the day, with a recurring theme
of radio tracking theory and practice. Frequent Q&A sessions & refreshment breaks gave plenty of opportunity
for lively debate and the sharing of information and experiences, as well as an opportunity to catch up with old
friends and contacts and meet new professionals & volunteers from the rehabilitation community.
The British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council (BWRC), one of three organisations forming the Wildlife Rehabilitation
Coalition, was delighted to be able to launch its newly-redesigned website at this year's Symposium. The site, at
www.bwrc.org.uk, contains information and guidance on core wildlife rehabilitation issues, links to UK wildlife
rehabilitators & related organisations, news and events, an interactive forum, and more!
The site will continue to be developed, so visit regularly for updates. Register now at "The Examination Room"
forum to ask your rehabilitation questions, give the benefit of your experience to others, and take part in general
discussions with Steering Committee members, other rehabilitators and interested parties about any aspect of
British wildlife rehabilitation.
The BWRC is keen to use its new website to provide an online database of UK rehabilitators and specialist vets - if
you are willing to be included in this database, please visit the website and download, complete & return the
permission form.
Terri Amory
British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council
PO Box 8686, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 0AG
terri@bwrc.org.uk | www.bwrc.org.uk

More information from : http://www.bwrc.org.uk

This year's wildlife rehabilitation symposium is being held on

SATURDAY 17TH NOVEMBER
at Chelford Hall, Knutsford, Cheshire

The fee per delegate is £25.00 – advance payment is required and can be made by credit card by contacting The Skye Environmental Centre on 01471 822487 (email otterhq@aol.com). For more information on the Symposium, contact Lower Moss Wood Wildlife Hospital on 01565 755082.

Lower Moss Wood is one of three organisations making up The Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition, along with the British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council and The Skye Environmental Centre.

The Coalition’s aim is to provide a forum for other wildlife rehabilitators, likeminded people, veterinary surgeons and associated staff to meet up once a year to disseminate information in the form of a symposium. We also arrange workshops/courses at which people with varying skill sets can meet up and advance their knowledge on a wide range of wildlife rehabilitation topics - for example, radio tracking and microscopy. Charges for these courses are kept to a minimum and any profit is invested in future events.

PROGRAMME OF EVENTS
This programme is subject to change

9:45am WELCOME

10:00 – 10:30 Introduction to Radio Tracking
Sean Walls

10:30 – 11:15 Raptor Rescue
The role of Raptor Rescue working hand in hand with Rehabilitators and the operation
of a national Help Line. Jane Hemingway

11:15 – 11:45 Tea/Coffee

11:45 – 12:30 An Overview of Hedgehog Rehabilitation
Through the eyes of one of our most experienced hedgehog rehabilitators and author of acclaimed book “Hedgehog Rehabilitation” Kay Bullen

12:30 – 1:00 Radio Tracking Bats
Sarah Goodwin - Another groundbreaking study from Stapeley Grange

1:00 – 2:00 LUNCH

2:00 – 2:45 Post Release Studies of Polecats
Important work done at Stapeley Grange by Rob Scrivens

2:45 – 3:30 Gyp Vulture Recovery Programme in India
Pioneering conservation programme to save this threatened species - A progress report
By Andrew Routh

3:30 – 4:00 Tea/Coffee

4:00 – 4:45 “Wildlife Rehabilitation – The B-Side”
Dick Best BVSc MRCVS Looking at the positive side of rehab

4:45 – 5:30 Have Your Say
Air your views, share ideas, ask a question, tell a joke - anything goes

Close

September 2007 update:

Since the commencement of the recycling scheme for inkjets we have raised nearly £400 and more recently £84 has been raised from our latest mailing of the mobile phone appeal - so a huge ‘thank you’ to all supporters who have taken part.

Lizzie from EAH Recycling has commented that for a small charity how impressed she has been with the response to the recycling schemes so please keep up the good work by sending your empty cartridges and mobile phones to EAH Recycling – every cartridge and mobile phone is much appreciated as Gower Bird Hospital receives a generous donation
for each one.

For extra envelopes please call EAH Recycling on 01473 658161

June 2007 was an exceptional month for Gower Bird Hospital. We admitted 295 patients and answered 587 phone calls in June and also received two awards for our work at the centre. The first award for Meritorious Service from the trustees of the local RSPCA Llys Nini branch was presented by Sally Hyman at their AGM in recognition of our outstanding contribution to animal welfare. The second award came from the national RSPCA for outstanding kindness to animals and was presented to Gower Bird Hospital by Michael Tomlinson, chairman of the RSPCA Council, at their AGM in London.

We are very pleased that Iolo Williams, popular presenter of BBC Wales’ “Iolo’s Welsh Safari” is a new patron of Gower Bird Hospital alongside Paul Llewellyn. Paul says, “I have known Iolo Williams for many years, he is a professional naturalist of considerable international reputation. I am delighted to have Iolo on board as a fellow patron, as this reinforces the excellent quality of the ongoing work at Gower Bird Hospital.”

When BBC Wales phoned to ask if they could film at Gower Bird Hospital, we were delighted as Iolo is an ambassador for Welsh wildlife. When he arrived at the Hospital it was obvious that his passion and commitment to wildlife is totally genuine – not just for the TV cameras. Iolo was equally impressed with the professional approach to wildlife rehabilitation taken at Gower Bird Hospital, ensuring that injured, sick and orphaned wildlife casualties are released back into the wild with the best possible chance of survival, and says, “Gower Bird Hospital is a shining example to all wildlife rehabilitation centres. I'm a great admirer of their scientific approach - especially using the close-circuit TV system to study the animals' behaviour to improve welfare whilst in temporary captivity and the radio-tracking work following the progress of released patients.”

More information from : http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/nature/sites/programmes/pages/iolo_williams.shtml

As the temperature climbed towards 25° on Sunday the 22nd of April, Rhydderch Wilson from Swansea completed his third London Marathon in aid of the Gower Bird Hospital in a fantastic 3 hours and forty five minutes! "I have to say that, despite the heat, it was the easiest marathon I've done yet. Relatively speaking, of course. I kept up a steady pace, kept myself well hydrated throughout and finished fast enough to avoid hitting the wall."

Although he suffered an injury scare only a couple of weeks before, Rhydderch put his best feet forwards and began his run along with more than 35,000 runners. The hot weather, although somewhat tedious for many runners as Rhydderch says he had "never seen so many people being treated on the roadsides", it did help to bring out the supporters; "the crowd turnout was massive and they kept cheering everyone on which makes a real difference. As tough as a marathon can be, in London it always has a carnival atmosphere thanks to the crowds "

Gower Bird Hospital would like to say a huge thank you to Rhydderch and congratulates him on his hard work and determination. Well done!
For those of you who have been collecting sponsorship for Rhydderch Anyone wishing to sponsor Rhydderch can do so online by following the link below or clicking on the GIVENOW button on the bottom of the page.....thank you for your support

Asked if he had been put off at all Rhydderch replied "I'll definately be putting my name down again for next year!"

More information from : http://www.london-marathon.co.uk/site/

Following the success of our first illustrated talk in January, which introduced the work of the bird hospital and launched our 'friends of' group, the series continues in the natural history theme.

Gower Bird Hospital presents an illustrated talk about Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, Dorset. Also the birthplace of Scouting and Guiding, John Herbert Education Officer, talks about the island and its wide variety of wildlife including the indigenous Red Squirrel.

Free Admission

Raffle and Refreshments available - All proceeds to Gower Bird Hospital
Doors open 7.30pm - Talk starts 8.00pm

We look forward to seeing you!

On Sunday the 22nd of April, Rhydderch Wilson from Swansea will be running his third London Marathon in aid of the Gower Bird Hospital.
Rhydderch, 36, began raising money for the hospital after his 9 year old cat Stan unfortunately sent a few casualties their way. Rhydderch started off small by running in the Swansea Bay 10k but soon progressed up to marathons, and has since run two in London and two in Cardiff.
Rhydderch says: “My best time to date is three hours and thirty three minutes in Cardiff in 2005. I’m training hard but I don’t think I’m going to beat that in London simply because of the sheer number of people running – about 33,000. The last time I did the marathon in London I finished in just under 4 hours but was unfortunately beaten over the line by a bunny girl and a werewolf, but I did manage to finish ahead of the giant strawberry”.
He goes on to say:
“The Gower Bird Hospital is at the forefront of research into the treatment and behaviour of sick and injured wild birds and hedgehogs, and it’s something the people of Swansea should be proud of and get behind. Last time I ran the London Marathon for them I managed to raise just under a thousand pounds, this year I want to do even better”.

Anyone wishing to sponsor Rhydderch can do so online by following the link below or clicking on the GIVENOW button on the bottom of the page.....thank you for your support

More information from : https://www.cafonline.org/apps/donations/selectpayment.aspx

You can now sell an item on Ebay and donate from 10% to 100% of the final sale price to Gower Bird Hospital.
How Does It Work?
Ebay has partnered with MissionFish, a non-profit service provider, to create the Ebay for Charity fundraising programme which makes it safe and easy for charities to benefit from trading on Ebay. While listing an item on Ebay you can choose to donate a percentage, or all, of your item's final selling price to Gower Bird Hospital! Your item will feature a charity ribbon, our name and logo and the percentage you are donating so that buyers know that they are supporting a worthy cause.

To start:
1. Visit the link below
2. Register for your Ebay and MissionFish seller accounts
3. Choose an item to sell
4. Write an item title and description
5. List your item on Ebay and indicate that it will benefit Gower Bird Hospital
6. Complete your transaction - MissionFish will collect your donation, claim Gift Aid (if possible) and pass both on to us

More information from : http://www.missionfish.org.uk/NPMMF/nphomepage.jsp?NP_ID=12220

This is not the first time that felines have been naturally infected with the H5N1 virus. An episode occurred in 2004 in a zoo in Bangkok where more then 40 tigers died and many others were culled due to the infection. On that occasion, investigations showed that the tigers were fed entire carcasses of chickens most likely infected with H5N1. The tigers may have been infected by either inhalation of large amounts of virus that could have been present on the surface/feathers of the poultry carcasses (faecal contamination) or via ingestion of the entire carcasses, including intestines and faeces.

Follow the link below to the World Organisation for Animal Health for more on this press release....

More information from : http://www.oie.int/eng/press/en_060301.htm

Avian influenza or bird flu is exactly that, a disease of birds. It is not a new disease - birds have probably contracted influenza for centuries and it was first identified in Italy over 100 years ago. All birds are thought to be susceptible to infection with avian influenza, though some species are more resistant to infection than others.

Pathogenic means capable of causing disease, when the low pathogenic virus circulates amongst birds it can mutate into a highly pathogenic type like the H5N1 strain. People who have close contact with the infected birds can contract the virus. The virus is contracted via the faecal-oral route, which means the virus is passed out of the bird in its droppings, which can then contaminate hands or surfaces. The virus may also be present in the nasal discharge of a bird. In either case basic hygiene - washing your hands - can prevent you from exposing yourself to possible infection by passing the faecal or nasal discharge into your mouth. Poultry farm workers are the most vulnerable, breathing in faecal dust created from hundreds of birds in a confined area.

There are two concerns:

1. That the virus may mutate or reconstruct, enabling the virus to be passed from person to person. As yet this has not occurred with this latest H5N1 strain. If it does, then it may become a pandemic. A pandemic is a widespread epidemic, an epidemic spreads rapidly and attacks many people in a region at the same time.

2. The present main concern is serious economic loss in the commercial poultry industry.


The spread of the virus by migratory birds was thought to be negligible as most would soon die close to where the outbreak had occurred. However, the role of migratory birds in spreading the virus is not well understood.

Gower Bird Hospital works closely with the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and we have been monitoring disease in wildlife for many years. In 2003 we supplied 16% of the UK’s submissions to the West Nile Virus surveillance project.
We are continuing with our role in environmental and disease monitoring for the welfare of animals and people. We have already submitted birds for avian influenza testing as part of our routine submissions. All the birds we have submitted for testing have died from natural causes as no healthy birds are killed to contribute to our monitoring.

DEFRA are only interested in cases of unusually high numbers of bird deaths. People who find such instances should contact DEFRA on their helpline: 08459 33 55 77 for further advice.

Source of information and further reading:
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs: http://www.defra.gov.uk/
World Health Organisation: http://www.who.int/en/
World Organisation for Animal Health: http://www.oie.int/eng/en_index.htm




Notes on Avian Influenza for Wildlife Rehabilitation Units from the British Wildlife Rehabilitation Council.

It is suggested that wildlife rehabilitation units pay attention to the following points:-

1. That the security of the accommodation and the hygiene procedures used within the unit are critically revised [preferably with the assistance of the unit’s attending veterinary surgeon] to ensure the safety of personnel and that wild bird casualties are isolated from each other and, more especially, isolated both directly and indirectly from domesticated poultry.

2. Any apparent outbreaks of sickness and multiple deaths in wild birds are reported promptly to the State Veterinary Service, using the Defra Helpline number 08459 335577.

3. Defra advise that whenever dead birds are handled, it is important to wash hands with soap and water as soon as possible and to clean any soiling on clothing with soap and water.

More information from : http://www.defra.gov.uk

PENNARD PARISH HALL
WEDNESDAY 31st JANUARY 2007

Doors open 7.30pm Talk starts 8pm
Admission free
Refreshments available
Gower Bird Hospital is your local wildlife rehabilitation charity and has been rescuing casualties for over 10 years. Many people have asked to look around the hospital, but this is not in the best interest of the patients. Therefore we invite you to an informal presentation to learn more about our work, meet the team and find out about our ‘Friends of...’ group.
We look forward to seeing you there!

"Wildlife Rehabilitation: Practicalities, Ethics and Welfare Issues from Admission to Release"

Addenbrooke’s Hospital , Cambridge

Saturday 28th October 10.00 am – 5.00 pm

Provisional Programme

Practicalities of dealing with casualties,
Supply of veterinary medicines,
Disease surveillance in wildlife,
Emergency euthanasia,
Veterinary osteopathy,
Garden Bird Initiative,
Wildlife rehabilitation training and Animal Care Courses
Roundtable discussion on the Animal Welfare Bill and wildlife rehabilitation

£30 registration fee for Saturday 28th October

Booking enquiries can be made to :
Anne Maskell 20, Garlic Row, Cambridge. CB5 8HW
annemaskell@gmail.com