# A day at the rescue!



## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

After risking fingers sorting out the ninja squirrel cage...


And an escaped pigeon and magpie later...

I had the chance to feed 6 of these little beasts!!


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

Pictures from today - 

One ugly, fluffy woody. Hate to say it but these guys are growing on me...


Hedgehog getting ready to hoover up his food:


The mice, looking a little more like mice! Growing up quick:


The real treat today was this guy though:

Most placid tawny, and sooo soft!

Thankfully there are no pictures of me crouching in a low aviary catching 7 pigeons! Not a graceful job


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## Pole (Nov 7, 2013)

nice rescue operation, do you run it?


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

Pole said:


> nice rescue operation, do you run it?


Nope, been volunteering there for a few years.


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## Shelleyred (Jul 11, 2010)

Well done you for volunteering for all them years. Thimbs up from me!! :2thumb: There should be more people like you.


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

Shelleyred said:


> Well done you for volunteering for all them years. Thimbs up from me!! :2thumb: There should be more people like you.


That's so kind :blush: Luckily the rescue has quite a few dedicated volunteers!

And because you're so sweet, I've found some old school photos for you (I say old school... they're pictures from last summer).









(Sorry about the quality, they don't tend to cooperate for pictures!)


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## Shelleyred (Jul 11, 2010)

They are adorable. I am going to look into helping out somewhere. You have inspired me!


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

More pictures from today! 

The tawny owl is recovering and a lot more feisty 


This is one of the mice I helped to hand rear!



And a few new pictures:
Greater spotted woodpecker


Swallow:


House Martin


Had his tank covered so he could hide from us, he insisted on sitting there staring at me... Green woodpecker


Not a usual patient - a canary


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

Shelleyred said:


> They are adorable. I am going to look into helping out somewhere. You have inspired me!


Please go for it.

Wildlife and domestic animal rescues so need volunteers who are prepared to commit. I've been volunteering at a local wildlife rescue for 8 years now and I couldn't count the number of volunteers who've come and quickly gone, cos they think it's all handrearing and cuddling sick critters, whereas honestly most of it is basic animal care, so shovelling sh*t most of the time.


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## varanus87 (Jan 30, 2012)

feorag said:


> Please go for it.
> 
> Wildlife and domestic animal rescues so need volunteers who are prepared to commit. I've been volunteering at a local wildlife rescue for 8 years now and *I couldn't count the number of volunteers who've come and quickly gone, cos they think it's all handrearing and cuddling sick critters, whereas honestly most of it is basic animal care, so shovelling sh*t most of the time.*


So true so true ..... :no1:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

I occasionally handrear, I do all the school education and over the last 8 years, I've shovelled sh*t, worked on admissions, I worked for years in the tearoom and the shop, because it all helps the animals.

Most volunteers who come to us really just want to be with the animals and don't want to do anything else. :sad:


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## varanus87 (Jan 30, 2012)

feorag said:


> I occasionally handrear, I do all the school education and over the last 8 years, I've shovelled sh*t, worked on admissions, I worked for years in the tearoom and the shop, because it all helps the animals.
> 
> Most volunteers who come to us really just want to be with the animals and don't want to do anything else. :sad:


Most we get don't have a ounce of common sense and that's fine as aslong as you love animals and conservation .... But we you turn up and expect to do anything you want and when I ask politely yes you do have to shovel poo .... Shovel the poo please and don't complain when u get it in you :lol2:


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

I've helped 'train' and show round 3-4 new people in the last couple of weeks, 1 has returned and that's because it's a college placement so they have to. It does get frustrating.

The place I volunteer at only has the hospital (not really open for the public), the people that stay on and shovel poop for months get some of the more interesting (and desired) jobs. I think that's a fair way to do it. I still do all the mucky jobs, rain or shine, because that's animal keeping/care and I'm happy to do it. But I do get a lot of privileges that very few volunteers get because I've been there so long and proven that I can work well with all the animals (I can't tell you how many people have been scared off by collared doves and sparrows!). 

People just want to walk in off the street, hand-rear something cute and feel like they've done something.


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## varanus87 (Jan 30, 2012)

vgorst said:


> I've helped 'train' and show round 3-4 new people in the last couple of weeks, 1 has returned and that's because it's a college placement so they have to. It does get frustrating.
> 
> The place I volunteer at only has the hospital (not really open for the public), the people that stay on and shovel poop for months get some of the more interesting (and desired) jobs. I think that's a fair way to do it. I still do all the mucky jobs, rain or shine, because that's animal keeping/care and I'm happy to do it. But I do get a lot of privileges that very few volunteers get because I've been there so long and proven that I can work well with all the animals (I can't tell you how many people have been scared off by collared doves and sparrows!).
> 
> People just want to walk in off the street, hand-rear something cute and feel like they've done something.



How come you aren't on the pay roll ? : victory:


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

varanus87 said:


> How come you aren't on the pay roll ? : victory:


Haha, I think they have plenty of staff at the moment... although if I lock one in with the squirrels a spot may open up... :whistling2:

A couple of them have joked that I'm pretty much an unpaid supervisor, but there's still a few things I haven't done that staff do.

What rescue do you work/volunteer at?


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

varanus87 said:


> How come you aren't on the pay roll ? : victory:


I'm not on the payroll cos there's no money to pay workers - it's as simple as that.

The owners had come to the point where there were more animals coming in than money to look after them, so rather than refusing to take in animals they decided to get grants to open to the public as a wildlife centre. So the wife sat down and filled in loads of grant applications and got enough money in to build new enclosures, a purpose-made hide, shop and tearoom and they opened to the public in 2005, which was when I went and volunteered.

In the early days they had one paid animal carer and paid people to work in the tearoom, but that only lasted a few years and then the recession hit and people started bringing picnics, so the tearoom started making a loss and admissions weren't taking as much and the paid people left and we just have the volunteers and the husband does all the animal care on the days when there are no volunteers, so times are really tough.

They kept it going by re-mortgaging the house, but eventually they couldn't do that any more and then got so desperate that they tried to sell it, but couldn't. 

So now they've developed the shop and tearoom into a self catering cottage and the animal barn into another one in a desperate attempt to keep money coming in, but they've also had to stop taking in casualties because if they can't release them, it's another mouth to feed when there are too many already. :sad:


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## varanus87 (Jan 30, 2012)

vgorst said:


> Haha, I think they have plenty of staff at the moment... although if I lock one in with the squirrels a spot may open up... :whistling2:
> 
> A couple of them have joked that I'm pretty much an unpaid supervisor, but there's still a few things I haven't done that staff do.
> 
> What rescue do you work/volunteer at?


Im a keeper at port lympne wild animal park ...been here for 6 years ...: victory:


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## varanus87 (Jan 30, 2012)

feorag said:


> I'm not on the payroll cos there's no money to pay workers - it's as simple as that.
> 
> The owners had come to the point where there were more animals coming in than money to look after them, so rather than refusing to take in animals they decided to get grants to open to the public as a wildlife centre. So the wife sat down and filled in loads of grant applications and got enough money in to build new enclosures, a purpose-made hide, shop and tearoom and they opened to the public in 2005, which was when I went and volunteered.
> 
> ...


Good Volunteers are the life blood of many places ...:no1:


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## feorag (Jul 31, 2007)

They are indeed!

As the saying goes "Volunteers don't get paid - not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless"

My bosses are aware that if they didn't have the volunteers they just couldn't keep going, even though it's a struggle and at the moment they are both quite defeated.


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

varanus87 said:


> Im a keeper at port lympne wild animal park ...been here for 6 years ...: victory:


I'm trying to get work at animal parks/zoos/collections at the moment, very difficult!


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## varanus87 (Jan 30, 2012)

vgorst said:


> I'm trying to get work at animal parks/zoos/collections at the moment, very difficult!


You should try volunteering at these places as the first people asked for the jobs are the good volunteers ...:2thumb:


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

varanus87 said:


> You should try volunteering at these places as the first people asked for the jobs are the good volunteers ...:2thumb:


I would if I could. The closest/most accessible zoo for me is ZSL, that's ~£20 per day, and I'd want to do it 2+ times a week. That's a lot of money for an unemployed person! I can't even get a receptionist job anymore, I'm too qualified/won't stick around apparently.


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## vgorst (Sep 27, 2011)

Some more pictures 

Huge buzzard


Pheasant 


A couple of the wood mice I helped to rear


Robin


Hand feeding the little birdies
Hand Feeding House Martins and Swallows - YouTube

Hand feeding a resident starling
Hand Feeding Starling - YouTube


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