2020: A Positive Reflection

2020, a year none of us will forget. It’s so easy to focus on all of the bad things that happened this year, so we are instead celebrating all of the good and hope that you will be able to do the same. Sometimes it’s only a small win, a happy moment or memory, but they shouldn’t be overshadowed by the bad. So here are ours…

We started the year with our new website, which to date has been visited 36,000 times. After a lot of work (we do it all ourselves) it allowed us to not only share more of our work with you, but run all of our ticketing when we were finally able to open. This included almost 17,000 tickets to visit us this year - a record breaking number of visitors to the sanctuary!

We completed work on our on-site charity cabin, which we’ll be opening once distancing is no longer something we need to worry about. We also completed work on bridges and pathways which meant we were able to open some of our back paddocks to you, and a new wheelchair friendly ramp out of the walled garden. We also, with an enormous amount of help from you, our local police, and some the generosity of local companies, had a major security upgrade; protecting our animals day and night.

Including some new animals who joined us this year, such as the poor Pekin ducks (now thriving with us!) found crammed into a tiny crate, in absolutely appalling condition in a garden. We’ve also celebrated some wonderful moments with our existing residents, such as Mumsy the sheep who was given just weeks to live with suspected cancer and shocked us all with a full recovery!

Pekin Duck Rescue

Mumsy fought and WON!

We enjoyed the most beautiful, sunny weather over the summer months and as we were finally able to open in July; we got to enjoy these days with you. The animals loved sunbathing and playing out in their paddocks (and our new CCTV system showed us they’re still playing late in the evening) – while we enjoyed donated ice lollies while we worked, thanks to the kindness of supermarkets that supported our work.

We held our first online dog show, and thanks to funds YOU helped us raise, work is well underway on our Secure Dog Run, which will enable us to also help dogs in need of somewhere safe to run off-lead.

Our team have worked harder than ever, and you’ll remember that some even packed their bags and moved in for some time to make sure they were able to keep caring for the animals no matter what happened. We took on roles we’d never done before and learned new skills, we adapted to the new challenges the pandemic brought with it, we passed our first aid training, and continued studies in other areas so that we can keep improving our work.

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We, along with our sister sanctuary Proteus Reptile Trust, have so far survived the devastating effects the pandemic has had on the country, and specifically the animal care and rescue industry. This is all thanks to YOU! You’ve sent us donations, gifts, and kind messages. You’ve brought your friends and family to see and support us. You’ve written letters to MPs, contacted newspapers and radio stations. You’ve shared our social media posts and helped to spread our work even further - we even got a share from Greenpeace. Most of all, you helped us in our toughest fight yet.

While we spent most of this year apart, you certainly came together for us!

Thank you all!

Lockdown: The Birds

On top of the continuing battle against Coronavirus, we are now fighting Avian Influenza (Bird Flu). Following several very serious cases found around the country, England was recently declared an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone. This means that all bird keepers, whether you have 500 birds or 5, are now legally obliged to take precautions to protect your birds against this very serious virus - including, where practicably possible, bringing birds inside or under cover so that wild birds and their droppings cannot enter their living spaces and risk introducing the disease.

We're working hard to put all of the necessary precautions in place to protect our birds here at the sanctuary, and as we know many of you also keep pet birds - small flocks of chickens, ducks, and other winged friends; we thought we'd share some information to help you at this time.

Biosecurity is absolutely crucial at this time. This means not only keeping your bird enclosures clean, but all furnishings within them paying particular attention to food and water bowls, all tools and equipment used, the areas surrounding enclosures, and yourself.

Cleaning with a good disinfectant is very important. Always read the container or product data sheets (you can usually find these on the manufacturer's website) to make sure your chosen product is effective against the Avian Influenza virus, and use the correct dilution. You can find a list of Defra approved disinfectants here.

Keep food and water containers covered and protected from wild birds.

As the virus is spread through droppings and secretions from infected birds (if you're a bird keeper, you'll know how often just a single bird can poo!), it is so easy to accidentally introduce the virus without taking these precautions. Could you be taking it in to your chicken coop on your feet whilst walking through your garden? Can wild birds or other wildlife access your feed and bedding storage areas? Stand back, look at your bird enclosures and care routines, then carry out a simple Bird Flu "Risk Assessment", aiming to eliminate as many of the risks that you come across as you possibly can.

For more in-depth, official guidelines, you can find the Government's Bird Flu resources here.

Depending on the types of birds you keep and numbers, it may not be practical to completely enclose your birds. Remember to bear their physical and mental welfare in mind, and monitor them each day for any changes - even the smallest changes in behaviour or appearance may be an indicator of something amiss. If you are worried at any point, seek advice from a professional such as your avian vet.

This virus won’t dominate the headlines like Covid, but it is extremely real, and very serious for the birds it can infect - a bird sanctuary not too far away in Worcestershire has sadly had all of their residents euthanised after some tested positive for the virus, and we cannot even begin to imagine being forced to do this. It simply cannot happen!

We regret that due to this, we won’t be able to take in any unwanted birds at this time. This is to, again, protect our birds at the sanctuary; birds you might be familiar with here such as Nigel the Goose, Malcolm the Emu, Benedict the Rooster, and so many more... Our animals rely on us to keep them safe, and we must put them first!

Wishing you and all of your feathered friends good health!

Brockswood Lesson: Emus

With the wonderful response we received to our first Brockswood lesson, we thought we'd put another together for you! This time we would love to talk to you about Emus, one of our most fascinating and unique animals, sometimes overlooked for not being quite so cute and cuddly.

Fun Facts:

• The word Emu comes from an Arabic word meaning ‘large bird’, and large they most certainly are! Emus are Australia's largest bird and the second largest bird in the world. They stand about 2 metres tall.

• Emus belong to a family of flightless birds called 'Ratites'. Most of this family are now sadly extinct; and only the Emu, Ostrich, Cassowary, Kiwi and Rhea are living today.

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Suggested Homework:

Think: Can you name any other animals from Australia?

Research: If the Emu is the second-largest bird in the world, which bird is the largest? We’ll give you a clue; it is one of the other members of the Ratite family. Which bird is the smallest? Can you do a bit of maths and calculate the size difference between these two very different birds?

Research: What does the word 'Extinct' mean? It is very important that we care for animals and stop this from happening to them. This is called 'Conservation'.

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• Emus have been living in Australia for a very long time. Their ancestors, the Dromornithids, roamed the land when Dinosaurs lived; and they are even thought by some scientists to be “Living Dinosaurs”, as they have many similar or even identical features to their Dinosaur relatives!

Some of these amazing features shared with their Dinosaur ancestors include:

• Most birds have what is called a keeled sternum (their breast bone), but Ratites don't have this, like their dinosaur ancestors. This means that they don’t have a strong anchor for their wing muscles that other birds have, and they could not fly even if they had large wings! They do have tiny wings hidden under their feathers, but cannot use them.

• Although they can't fly, they can most certainly run! They have long legs and powerful feet with three forward-facing toes. This allows them to run very fast - up to 30 miles per hour! These strong legs can also deliver some very powerful kicks; and one toe on each foot has a long talon, which can be lethal to predators. They are also good swimmers and love the bathe.

Can you see the resemblance to dinosaur feet here?

• Emu feathers are very different to most birds and these hang loosely, rather than being smooth and aerodynamic, giving them their shaggy appearance. This is how we think dinosaur feathers would have looked too!

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Suggested Homework:

Research: Have a look at some different birds and their feet. They’re not all the same and can vary a lot between different species – why do you think this may be?

Research: All birds are thought to be descended from Therapod Dinosaurs (this group of dinosaurs even includes the mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex!). Can you find any other traits that make them similar to our bird friends? A very big hint below...

An Emu egg!

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• Emus are omnivorous and need very nutritious food to maintain their huge body weight – they can weigh up to 54kg. They mainly eat vegetation, including a wide variety of leaves, grasses, seeds and native flowers; as well as water plants, such as duckweed and algae. They also enjoy a variety of fruit and vegetables here at Brockswood.

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Suggested Homework: You are now in charge of preparing Malcolm the Emu's dinner at the sanctuary. What will you put in his bowl for him?

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We've only just scratched the surface about the amazing Emu and hope that you can see them a little differently now! If you would like to learn more, why not dig a little deeper and see what facts you can find? or ask us some questions, we love talking about our animals!

Now we'd love to see you get arty and have some fun! Why not draw, paint, or make your own Emu at home. Get creative! and don't forget to take some photos and send them to us, we, and Malcolm our Emu, would love to see them.