We have rescued thousands of wild animals from very prickly situations!
IN just over a year, Kildare Wildlife Rescue has rescued, cared for and released thousands of wild animals and birds from across the country.
The fledgling charity’s passionate volunteer team has worked around the clock to rehabilitate and return many beautiful creatures back into their natural habitats. Since January 2023, it has taken in 3,000 animals and birds, caring for up to 400 at a time during the peak season at its base in Kildare town. A further 1,200 went to licensed foster homes.
The organisation has rescued an injured long-eared owl that became trapped after flying into a Dublin gym, a swan that was trapped in fishing wire, accidentally grounded bats, orphaned hedgehogs, and many wild animals including foxes and rabbits which have had painful encounters with traffic. Its most recent patients
‘Crammed ten years of work into one’
have included a rare red squirrel, and a tufted duck that needed stitches after it was attacked by a dog.
Manager Dan Donoher set up the centre to redress the balance, and look after the wildlife that has suffered due to encounters with humans.
The animals and birds, once recovered, are released back into their natural habitat as close to where they were found as possible.
Looking back on KWR’s achievements since it was launched in September 2022, Mr Donoher said: ‘I think we have crammed ten years’ worth of work into one year. It’s been a whirlwind.’ He said achieving fully registered charity status last September was a landmark, allowing the centre to apply for bigger grants and commercial support, as well as relying on goodwill and donations.
‘Sometimes I want to pinch myself when I walk into the centre, I find it hard to believe we have really created all of this,’ he commented.
Mr Donoher said it was alert members of the public who called in most of the cases, with the centre receiving 6,000 enquiries about wildlife in trouble last year.
‘In the summer, we got a call from a man... for a kestrel nest,’ he said.
‘He had noticed that the female had not come back for a couple of days, and there was a young male at the nest with the chicks who were only a few days old.’
He said they got a special licence from the National Parks and Wildlife Service to remove the chicks, and all six lived to be released back into the wild.
Mr Donoher said KWR was turning its attention to recruiting volunteers for this year, with first responders needed, as well as transporters, receptionists, carers, cleaners, feeders and many other roles.
Calendars for 2024 are also on sale online to raise funds to keep the charity’s work going, and donations can be made through KWR’s idonate web page.