Life is as dear to the mute creatures as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, Just as one wants to live and not to die, So do other creatures. Written by His Holiness The Dalai Lama
FOXY LODGE Was set up by husband and wife, John and Tonia in Hemsby Great Yarmouth Norfolk to give wildlife a second chance for sick, injured, abandoned or orphaned birds and animals. Our aim is to rehabilitate or rear and then release back into the wild. Some wildlife we recieve unfortunatly can never be safely released if sustaining some form of dissability, so we find a suitable permanent home or garden for lifetime care and some stay with us.
We were fully operational by end of April 2009. During our first 8 months we have taken in 203 birds and animals. We were surprised by how many baby birds were bought to us to rear and have successfully raised Robins, Thrushes, sparrows, Blackbirds, Jays, pigeons, Doves, Wrens, Bluetits, a Chaffinch, a Crow, 15 Seagul chicks from 35 grams, a pair of Baby Little Owls, a Baby Tawny Owl, a trio of day old Pheasants, a snipe, a magpie, a black headed gull and a day old Moorhen. On the animal side we have taken in over 65 hedgehogs many of which were babies well under 100 grams with the smallest just 52 grams. Other animals taken in include several wild Rabbits including 4 very small babies, 5 baby Squirrels a 3 day old Lamb, a young Muntjac deer, a young chinese water deer, two 4 week old kittens and a Noctule Bat.
We both have full time jobs so running Foxy Lodge takes up all of our free time with no holidays or even a day off for the forseeable future. We are not a registered charity and financed the setting up of Foxy Lodge on our own, even using the money we recieved when we got married in October 2008. Tonia sold her wedding dress and other wedding items and that money was also put into the Foxy fund! We are very grateful for the donations we have recived from several of the people who have bought wildlife in to us, which helps towards the food costs, vet bills etc.
At the end of december 2009 we have released 106 birds and animals back into the wild and have 39 still being cared for.
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A poem about a baby hedgehog on his first night out on his own inspired by the many baby hedgehogs we have in at Foxy Lodge Wildlife Rescue.
I’M JUST A LITTLE HEDGEHOG
I’m just a little hedgehog, no one really cares,
Mum has to leave us tomorrow, but forever in her prayers,
She warned of all the dangers and told us all she knew,
But tomorrow came so quickly and mum has left us now.
I’m the smallest of the litter and last to leave the nest,
But I am going to show my mum, that I really was the best.
I’m going off exploring, to forage in the leaves.
I feel quite grown up now, to go where ever I please.
A sound I haven’t heard before makes me curl up in a ball.
I poke my nose out and sniff the air,
My spikes will protect me if anything is there.
I walk away slowly not making much sound,
Still looking for food and water but none can be found.
I come to a pond, I’ve found water at last.
But I slip and fall in, it all happened so fast.
I bob up and down and start swimming around,
Never felt so happy, than when my feet touched the ground.
Life for a little hedgehog is not easy like I thought,
Wish I had listened to mum more now, when we were being taught.
Got a busy night ahead, finding food and building a nest,
But all I really want right now is to get warm and have a rest.
I dream of a garden, a bit wild and overgrown,
I’d live there forever and make it my home.
Food would be plenty and easy to find,
The perfect garden for me and my kind.
The garden I am in is not at all wild,
But shingle and wood, the rest seems to be tiled
I find a small hole, just big enough for me,
And climb through the fence and set myself free.
I’m in a place, much worse than the last,
Bright lights and noisy and moving so fast.
I wait by the side, not sure what to do
Just look in amazement at this strange view.
It all goes quiet and the darkness comes back,
The time has now come to cross this wide track
On my way over, it starts getting lighter,
I glance over my shoulder and see two lights getting brighter.
I stand very still but my teeth start to chatter,
Do I go back or carry on, or does it really matter.
I crouch down low, and shiver with fright,
This all happened on my very first night.
Written by John Garner of Foxy Lodge Wildlife Rescue
