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washing line for exercise.
Nowadays, with the new Animal
Welfare Bill, this type of care is
not allowed and the owner was
prepared to give her up to
someone who could give her a
better quality of life.
One of our resident foxes had
died last year, so we had space
for another one but we were not
sure if she would revert to being
Deer, deer, deer!
wild when taken away from the
carer and environment that she
knew so well. So we wanted to We are getting more and more call outs to
see if she would revert first but deer as they increase and start appearing in
only a few days in our rehab towns and gardens. Only last week Simon
enclosures, well away from went out with one of our response drivers,
everyone, soon showed us that Graeme, to move a deer that had been
she was very tame as she would living in a garden for over two weeks in the
yelp a welcome as soon as middle of Bristol. The urgency was that
anyone came up with her food and building work was about to start and there
then turn on her back to have her just was not anywhere within a couple of
tummy tickled! miles that could afford any cover or foraging
Megan was neutered and then for it.
given time to get used to our own There is always a risk when dealing with
foxes. We put her in the fox shed deer in built up areas as they are likely to
and had a wire door so that she panic and could so easily cause huge
could have nose contact with our problems by running into roads, green
resident foxes without immediate houses or conservatories so great care has
release in with them. to be taken. In this incident, Simon and
After two weeks of this, we Graeme were able to catch the deer and let
were able to let her go in with the it go in the nearest belt of grassed area. In
others. That day we had a film the main, if deer suddenly appear in their
crew here and Michaela Strachan gardens, we suggest that they leave garden
was able to take part in letting her gates open at night and allow the deer to
go and watching the reaction of move off in their own time.
the others. The next ten minutes We have had all too many callouts to
were spent with Megan going and road traffic accidents involving deer, and
greeting them all and there indeed on one call out in the middle of the
followed a huge game of tag night, our member of staff was told that it
around the pen as they played was the 6th callout that night to deer. All of
together. There have been no the others had been dispatched. We try to
problems since. Hopefully she will always give them a chance and we have
have a very happy life here with us released over 8 deer this year having recovered
with both human and fox company! from their ordeals which is really great.
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