Before we’d even finished our moorhen rescue at Hall Place today we’d received pleas for help with two collapsed foxes in separate locations.
In spite of having a broken hand, Abbie set off to rescue one fox in SE10. Sadly, upon arrival this fox had already passed away. Meanwhile, Fran and I were heading to a collapsed fox in SE18, who was pressed against a chain link fence in the garden of a lovely but very concerned family. A cloud of flies were surrounding the fox and had already begun their awful work of laying eggs in every orifice and wound.
To retrieve this poor soul required a bit of a difficult climb over the fence and through thick brambles, but due to the foxes’ critical state, was otherwise not too difficult. Abbie then met us and drove the fox straight to South Essex Wildlife Hospital - over an hour’s drive in rush hour traffic, but she did not hesitate or complain for a moment. The team at SEWH then began the difficult work of trying to save his life.
During this rescue, other requests for help were building up, and our volunteer Nicky was collecting a grounded pigeon from Eltham, whilst Debbie was collecting an escaped or abandoned budgie from Greenwich.
I currently have a close family member who is critically ill, so during the next few weeks it is going to be even more of a struggle than usual to keep the rescue going throughout this overwhelmingly busy season.
But although things are so hard at the moment, days like today, in spite of being as physically and emotionally exhausting as ever, remind me to be grateful for the amazing, dedicated and selfless team of volunteers we have built at the GWN, who sacrifice their free time daily in the pursuit of kindness and preventing suffering.
