The Hospital

2009 has been another busy but rewarding year in the Wildlife Hospital.

In addition to the usual tawny owls and barn owls, other species brought into the Wildlife Hospital included kestrels and, most recently, a short-eared Owl.

A prolonged wet autumn has made it necessary to keep some wildlife patients here until we can be sure of a few weeks of dry mild weather, suitable for their release. We have already, however, successfully released four barn owls, three tawny owls and a kestrel back to the wild.

Unfortunately many people do not realise that when tawny owlets leave the nest, they stay in the immediate area, still being fed by their parents. As a consequence, they are often unnecessarily “rescued” by kind-hearted people who assume that they have been abandoned. If it is too late to return the owlets to their parents, then we crèche rear them so that they do not become imprinted on humans before release in the autumn.

We always make sure that any local birds or wildlife brought to us receive treatment from a vet as soon as possible.

If you find injured wildlife, please do the same, take it to a vet who should treat it free of charge.

Our hospital has a treatment room, operating room, incubation room and a quarantine room. It is used to provide expert veterinary care to the World Owl Trusts’ collection birds and as a specialised wildlife hospital for native wildlife.

Our hospital was built with money donated by Jackie and Ada Hillard. It has a treatment room, operating room, incubation room and a quarantine room. It is used to provide expert veterinary care to the World Owl Trusts’ collection birds and as a specialised wildlife hospital for native wildlife. Thanks to the generosity of our members we now have the latest equipment. Recent donations include a microscope which will be used for veterinary investigations.
Within the Owl and Wildlife Hospital is our fully equipped Incubation Room. From time to time we have owl eggs that are abandoned by their mothers or are laid by inexperienced mothers who are unlikely to incubate successfully. Artificial incubation can give the chicks a chance of survival and help us raise chicks for our captive breeding programs.

World Owl Trust Registered Charity Number: 1107529 Limited Company Number: 5296745

The World Owl Trust is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums (EAZA). The Trust relies on a dedicated membership, visitors, donations and legacies.