There are currently 165 ‘residents’ in the Shelter’s care – the highest recorded total since the charity started logging weekly figures in 2018.
Michelle Parker, media and fundraising manager for the JSPCA, said that it was currently ‘baby season’, which was causing the number of animals to rise significantly.
She said: ‘There are lots of garden birds such as robins, pigeons, starlings – we also have two squirrels and a swallow. We have to be really careful with swallows so that they don’t get their feathers damaged, as they are real acrobats of the air.’
The Shelter is also caring for a number of ducklings, which have been rescued after becoming separated from their mothers.
Ms Parker added that the ‘baby season’ would probably continue for the next couple of months.
‘In terms of the staff dealing with all of the wildlife, it has been a very busy department,’ she said. ‘We actually moved our wildlife room upstairs to a former classroom that was adapted. However, this is just a temporary thing, as we are hoping to raise funding for a purpose-built wildlife rescue and rehabilitation centre. This is going to be a long-term project but the idea is to have our own dedicated building.’
Earlier this year a bearded dragon discovered in the sand dunes was collected by the JSPCA, who gave it specialist care. It was suspected that the creature – later nicknamed ‘Dune’ by the charity – had been abandoned by its owner.
After nobody came forward to claim it, it was successfully relocated through the Shelter’s rehoming programme.
- Islanders can donate to the JSPCA by visiting jspca.org.je/donations, where they can also find an Amazon wishlist of items the charity is in need of.
