Baby red squirrels being cared for by Scottish charity

Squirrel siblings saved September 2011. Two baby squirrels have been rescued by the Scottish SPCA after being found huddled together on the ground at a Scottish Highlands holiday home. Acorn, male, and Hazel, female, were discovered in a carport by residents at a cottage in Nethy Bridge, Speyside, in August.

Scotland's Animal Welfare Charity was called to rescue the brother and sister who had become separated from their mother.

Senior Inspector Gill MacGregor said, "I advised the caller to leave the squirrels for an hour just to give mum a chance to find them. As they were found in a carport it's unlikely that mum dropped the pair whilst moving them so we can only imagine that they crawled in there themselves. Sadly we were unable to reunite them with their mother so I took them to our Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fife where they have been thriving ever since."

Wildlife Assistant Krystal Aitchison said, "Acorn and Hazel are doing really well and are becoming stronger and fitter every day as they enjoy exploring their outdoor aviary. We think this is the first time we have had squirrel siblings come into our care at the same time, normally we find one orphaned or abandoned, but this pair have decided to stick with each other.

"We will be aiming to release them back into the wild together once they are fully fit and able to fend for themselves."

Anyone wishing to report an injured or distressed animal should call the Scottish SPCA Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/baby-squirrels.html

Otter causes chaos in Tulla in County Clare

19 April 2011

An unlikely water-dweller has been making waves in a County Clare town.

A wayward otter turned on its would-be rescuers in Tulla on Monday as it was found wandering up the town's main street.

Farmer Joe Burke and shop owner Mike Hogan first noticed the animal as it passed by on the footpath outside Mr Hogan's window.

Concerned for its safety, they decided to come to its aid. However, the otter clearly had other ideas.

As a large crowd gathered, the otter became "very aggressive" and started trying to bite people.

Mr Burke was rewarded for his efforts with a nasty cut.

Tayto crisps

Eventually, the two men managed to corner the ungrateful creature in a courtyard. They planned to wait for professionals to come and take it to safety.

However, as Mr Burke explained: "He then put his head into a Tayto bag. It was wrapped tightly around his head.

"He couldn't see where he was going, he was bumping into walls and everything."

Fearing for the otter's life, Mr Burke decided to take on the rescue himself.

He took a thick bag used for holding animal feed, and after a minor struggle, managed to capture the animal.

The two men loaded their charge into the back of Mr Burke's jeep, and made their way to a local lake with the intention of releasing the otter back into its natural habitat.

But again the otter was refusing to go quietly.

"He chewed his way out of the bag," said Mr Hogan. "The back window was missing on the jeep so he jumped out when we stopped."

Traffic cone

The resourceful animal then made a dash for freedom half a mile back towards Tulla, before Mr Burke was able to catch it under a traffic cone.

The men slid a piece of plywood under the cone and carried it back to the lake, where they let the otter back into the water.

However, again the drama continued. The animal was so exhausted from its efforts that it began to sink.

"We pulled him towards the reeds and sort of propped him up," said Mr Hogan.

"After 10 or 15 minutes he got his breath back again and swam off."

A dramatic day indeed. The residents of Tulla may never see an otter one like it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-13126139

Penguin chicks released after rescue in South Africa

Rescued youngsters released back on to Bird Island

December 2010: Forty-nine endangered African penguin juveniles have been given a new lease of life after being successfully released on to Bird Island following a rehabilitation process.

The juveniles were removed as chicks from Bird Island, which forms part of Addo Elephant National Park, in mid October when extreme cold, wet and windy weather threatened their survival. The harsh weather followed similarly brutal conditions in June which caused the death of 1,000 African penguins on the island.


When the second set of extreme weather hit in October, South African National Parks (SANParks) lifted the ailing penguin chicks off the island by helicopter to two rehabilitation centres for specialised care. SANParks has also taken extra precautions in the meantime by providing artificial shelters for penguins and using material to drain nest sites to aid penguin chick survival.

The birds have already joined the rest of the colony
Now, after a three-hour boat journey, the three-month-old chicks were released onto the slipway at Bird Island and soon joined the rest of the African penguin colony. The youngsters are expected to do well as they are now able to forage for themselves. They have all been tagged and their progress will be closely monitored.

Meanwhile, care of the remaining penguin chicks at the rehabilitation centres continues with the aim of releasing them back into the wild in the future.

There are about 1,300 breeding pairs of African penguins on Bird Island and about 2,500 breeding pairs on St Croix Island, home to the largest African Penguin breeding colony in the world.

http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/penguins-bird-island.html