RELEASE SITE NEWS
Sadly not all wildlife that we receive survives or is viable to be released back into the wild and this can be the hardest aspect of rehabilitation and release.
It is important that we are able to monitor the success of our released animals, as post release survival information can tell us so much about outcomes of wildlife following release.
It can tell us how long an animal survives, how far it travelled following release, whether it reared young and how well it was coping with the transition from rehabilitation to surviving un-supported within the wild.
Methods we deploy in monitoring released animals include:
l Tattooing. All our badgers are tattooed with a unique number (on both sides of the belly) so if one returns back to Secret World for treatment at a later date we can immediately identify this animal and it’s previous history. If you ever discover a dead badger with a tattoo please take down the relevant details and pass this on to us. This information is vital to our work and provides so much data.
l Micro chipping. l Fur clipping. l Regular communication with release sites based upon visual sightings/field signs. l Motion activated cameras at feeding stations and release sites. l Sand traps (used to monitor support feeding of otters).
Feedback from release sites this year has been very encouraging, with landowners and voluntary groups participating in providing regular data.Of particular interest was the release of 3 barn owls brought into Secret World (as owlets) following the untimely removal of a tree they were nesting in. Following rehabilitation the owls were released into a soft release pen and support fed by the landowner. After a period of settlement the pen roof was opened and the owls dispersed naturally. Support feeding was continued for a number of weeks which was gradually reduced as the owls learnt to hunt for themselves. Updates just prior to Christmas indicated that two of the owls were utilising the barn they were
We are desperate for release sites for all species - with no homes for 16
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