The centre is run entirely by volunteers from the local community with generous support from local businesses. It takes over 100 volunteers to cover 2 shifts per day every day of the year. Their primary aim is to rehabilitate sick, injured, orphaned and displaced animals. They have a success rate of over 60% being released into their natural environment in the wild after being nursed back to health.

Here are just a few of the many success stories. A baby echidna with bare skin and ever so tiny and then fully grown with all her spines in place.

An unidentified baby bird who just happened to let them know that she was a very hungry little magpie. She has since been released.

Often when kangaroos are hit on the road they have a joey in the pouch and it is possible to raise them with round the clock attention. You need to carry them everywhere with you in a pouch like sling. Here is one a little older that is keeping warm in his basket.

Kanyana also take part in a breeding programme for the Bilby which is an endangered species. Since 1996 they have bred over 50 new bilbies and when they are ready they are returned to a 20 hectare natural woodland area which has fox and cat proof fencing and they are provided with food and water. This woodland area also caters for Rufous Wallabies and Western Barred Bandicoots which are also in danger of extinction.

This month I have the privilege of introducing Clare, who is a dedicated carer giving much of her time to her beloved Feathered Friends. Many of us in the Feathered Buddies Gallery have seen some of her very special birds due to the fact that our Gardenbuddy Kath has been good enough to share them with us. Kath and Clare are the best of friends. They live in the same street and met quite accidentally when Kath was tending her garden and a lady with an American Barn Owl by the name of ‘Sweeps’ on her arm walked by. They got chatting and have been friends ever since.

Clare had a love of animals since she was a young child being brought up in India where her father was in service for the British Professional Army. She had a secret wish to own a pet tiger but she settled for an Arabian white Stallion.

Eventually the family returned to the UK and Clare grew up and married. She had two sons and when they left home she was able to follow her heart and pursue a life caring for wildlife. She became friends with Rick and Angie who do an enormous amount of charity work for rescued birds and the RSPCA. She is also involved with an Owl Sanctuary. www.suffolk-owl-sanctuary.org.uk

Clare had a large aviary built in her back garden, which is divided into sections and includes an indoor area where they can rest and sleep. Some of her patients are resident and others just passing through after receiving her kind and gentle care.

It came to her attention that there was a Common Buzzard being kept in horrific conditions in a dark alleyway with mesh at either end. When Clare arrived to collect her,’ Misty’ was in very bad health and her claws were becoming loose due to malnourishment and bad environment. After quite a few weeks Misty was well on the way to good health and through Clare’s association with bird rescue friends a lonely male was found to keep her company and they are both doing wonderfully well. The people responsible for Misty’s ill treatment have since been heavily find and are not allowed to have charge of birds again.

Here are a few more of Clare’s feathered guests. She acquired ‘Bubo’ a Snowy Owl when he was just 4 weeks old

And at 6 weeks of age you can see how well his wings have developed in comparison to his body.

These owls cannot fly until they are around 4 months of age as the body is not strong enough to carry the weight of their very large wings. At 10 weeks old you can now see the body starting to fill out.

Sometimes male birds like Bubo are taken back to the Owl Sanctuary to mate with appropriate females. The female then raises her fledglings herself and later these birds can be released into the right location in the wild thus helping to conserve the species which are low in number.

This is ‘Soots’ a Bengal Eagle Owl who has the most magnificent eyes and markings.

Lastly we will meet ‘Fluff’ a Tawny Owl who is so cuddly and just loves you to move your fingers softly through the feathers at the back of her head. Fluff is a firm favourite of Kath’s.

There are many people doing a similar labour of love in different countries around the world. I believe that each volunteer is a ‘very special person’ and the precious wildlife have a chance to live and reproduce so that future generations have a chance to see and appreciate the wonderful birds and animals that we are surrounded by. The volunteers must be rewarded with great satisfaction and hearts that beat with joy when they observe a happy result from their many, many hours of dedicated nursing.

Kath, I want you to know how much I appreciate your work in collecting the information from Clare. I am sure we would all like to send a special thank you to Clare for sharing of herself so that we could enjoy a part of her life.

I also would like to thank Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for the use of their photographs. They do a wonderful job. You may care to visit their website which has lots to see and learn from. http://www.kanyanawildlife.org.au

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

If you protect those who cannot
Fend for themselves
You will be rewarded tenfold
---ooOoo---