KAF Wildlife Unit

EGAR

KAF has launched their Wildlife Unit, a much needed resource in the world of animal rescue.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kildare-Animal-Foundation-Wildlife-Unit/267133126640711

Thank you.

Traonach

Good stuff!:)
What species do you intend to cater for?

LostCovey

Why do you call wildlife rehabilitation & release "rescue"???? I am sure using an emotionally charged term like that does a lot for fundraising (which always seems to be well up the agenda for animal "rescue" organisations). It does nothing for credibility. Rescue organisations earn the right to use the term with abseiling and wetsuits. I don't think feeding mackerel to seal pups and mealworms to blackbirds counts. Much as I love both species - out where they belong in the wild.

How do you draw the line between rescue and kidnapping? Wouldn't most "rescued" wildlife be a lot better off faring for themselves?

I am not being nasty (or I don't intend to be), but your Facebook page makes great play of the lack of trained wildlife rehabilitators in Ireland - but no mention of what training this rescue organisation has. What are their credentials to be implying the rest are chancers?

Sorry for the slightly rough reception, but you did put up the link with the cuddly fox cub and the need for a lot of fundraising before summer! Consider this as balance!

I don't know you, or Kildare "animal rescue" so this isn't personal.

EGAR

I have just cross posted it. I do not do wildlife rescue, apart from the odd injured bird. My forte are dogs, cats and equines. And I am in Galway, not Kildare as my profile clearly shows.

Dan, who runs the unit is a certified wildlife rehabilitator who also works with mentors as well as liasing with Conservation Rangers. Why don't you ask him yourself, the link is there .

Dan is not a tree hugger, he knows very well when to intervene and when to leave well enough alone. So I really do not understand your rather condescending manner of posting.

There are not enough wildlife unit in Ireland, plenty of rescues but not many would have the knowledge or setup to deal with sick/injured wildlife in a manner which ultimately aims to release the animals back into the wild instead of trying to *tame* the animal because they want to keep it.

And yes, Dan does the hands-on stuff ie catching injured swans for example, which we can all agree is neither easy nor a job for a novice.

LostCovey

EGAR wrote: »

I have just cross posted it. I do not do wildlife rescue, apart from the odd injured bird. My forte are dogs, cats and equines. And I am in Galway, not Kildare as my profile clearly shows.

Dan, who runs the unit is a certified wildlife rehabilitator who also works with mentors as well as liasing with Conservation Rangers. Why don't you ask him yourself, the link is there .

Dan is not a tree hugger, he knows very well when to intervene and when to leave well enough alone. So I really do not understand your rather condescending manner of posting.

There are not enough wildlife unit in Ireland, plenty of rescues but not many would have the knowledge or setup to deal with sick/injured wildlife in a manner which ultimately aims to release the animals back into the wild instead of trying to *tame* the animal because they want to keep it.

And yes, Dan does the hands-on stuff ie catching injured swans for example, which we can all agree is neither easy nor a job for a novice.

Look the condescending tone in writing seems to be a congenital handicap I was born with. Please try to get past it and address the point I was trying to make. I am not condescending in person!

I don't know Dan, whoever he is. I have no problem with someone called Dan who is good at rehabilitating wildlife doing good work on an informal basis - http://www.irishwildlifematters.ie lists dozens of "Dans", and fairplay to all of them.

It's a bit different when you start calling yourself a Unit or a Foundation (come on now, putting both in the same title is a bit much !), and looking for funding from the public (I presume an application for Govt funding will follow).

And denigrating other rehabilitators as "unqualified" is a bit mean, and suggests a competitive streak to get one up on the other poor devils doing their best. You say Dan is qualified/certified - by whom?

And before you suggest it, I am not addressing any of this to Dan, because Dan didn't post here - you did, and you made the claims for him and his Rescue Foundation Unit so I am addressing it to you.

Look at the Kildare Animal Rescue Foundation Wildlife Unit website:
http://animalfoundation.ie/wildlife/

WHAT is the point of "rescuing" fox cubs, and "rescuing" baby rabbits, hand rearing them at great cost in labour and expense, and releasing them to eat each other???????

A rabbit being chased by a fox may think he needs "rescuing" (I don't think he does) - an abandoned fox cub doesn't need "rescuing", in my book. However the "rescue" here seems to be to get the cuddly ones, then release them when they are wild adults. The rabbit being chased by the fox won't be "rescued", even though they were both rescued as "babies". Foxes eat rabbits. Sick & injured wildlife in most cases can't be helped and will be food for weak/malnourished wildlife. That is life

I have a problem with this, and I think it is a marketing/revenue generating exercise for the organisations that do it in this way.

LostCovey

Mothman

Traonach wrote: »

Good stuff!:)
What species do you intend to cater for?

I'd like to know this as well. Is it focusing on our native fauna which is not faring so well?
I'm with LC on this, not much point dealing with the likes of foxes....

Whispered

LostCovey wrote: »

WHAT is the point of "rescuing" fox cubs, and "rescuing" baby rabbits, hand rearing them at great cost in labour and expense, and releasing them to eat each other???????

What is the point in showing kindness to any creature?

LostCovey

Whispered wrote: »

What is the point in showing kindness to any creature?

I wasn't arguing against kindnesses at all - I am all in favour of kindness to animals and have hand reared the odd one.

I was questioning (and by the way I got no answer)

- why set this up as a foundation and the big fundraising component, if what we are talking about is "kindness"? "Kindness" costs nothing.

- why the melodramatic use of the word "rescue"? - KAR are not alone in this, and it makes organisations that do it look emotionally needy and attention-seeking.

- why does KAR have a cut at "unqualified" rehabilitators on their website, but not state their own?

- and yes, why look for funds from the public, and from the taxpayer to support an institution whose purpose includes "rescuing" and rehabilitating and releasing predators and their prey?

I would love to hear what answers you or KAR or EGAR (east galway animal RESCUE?) have to these questions,

Yours kindly,

LostCovey