Rescued a buzzard,not sure i should have called rspb.
Discussion
Driving home yesterday and we saw a Buzzard just sitting on grass verge on busy road looking sorry for itself.
Turned back and without too much of a struggle managed to put a towel over it and call the Rspb.
2 hours they said before they would see it so we drove home and looked after bird in meantime.
Bird basically went from lying on it's side with feet curled up to after many little scooshes of water into its mouth,by the minute became more and more alert and stronger.
It went from as i say on its side to being very alert and really putting up a fierce fight when i held it,like i had done with no fight just 15 minutes before.
Its wing which it had been holding sort of funny now was fully extending and flapping around and its legs were now gripping onto my fingers for dear life.
So,Rspb lady arrives,shoves it in a cardboard box and stashes it into her van for god knows how long.
Phoned them for an update next day and got the update i expected,oh it had fractured its wing and a callous had formed round the injury so we had to put it down?
Feeling a bit dissapointed i looked on youtube and another guy found one with a broken wing(which had healed in wild in wrong position/angle) and took it to a vet,vet was loathe to put bird down and fixed the wing!!
Sort of made me think what in the hell was the point?
Turned back and without too much of a struggle managed to put a towel over it and call the Rspb.
2 hours they said before they would see it so we drove home and looked after bird in meantime.
Bird basically went from lying on it's side with feet curled up to after many little scooshes of water into its mouth,by the minute became more and more alert and stronger.
It went from as i say on its side to being very alert and really putting up a fierce fight when i held it,like i had done with no fight just 15 minutes before.
Its wing which it had been holding sort of funny now was fully extending and flapping around and its legs were now gripping onto my fingers for dear life.
So,Rspb lady arrives,shoves it in a cardboard box and stashes it into her van for god knows how long.
Phoned them for an update next day and got the update i expected,oh it had fractured its wing and a callous had formed round the injury so we had to put it down?
Feeling a bit dissapointed i looked on youtube and another guy found one with a broken wing(which had healed in wild in wrong position/angle) and took it to a vet,vet was loathe to put bird down and fixed the wing!!
Sort of made me think what in the hell was the point?
You have to be 100% certain that you can fix them back to 100% fit to re release them, if you can't do that they should be euthanased. In my past I have helped with rehabilitating wild birds of prey and assisted in pinning wings but it is not easy and has a high fail rate. You have to wonder how the bird ended up in the state it did.
And you'd have to believe the RSPB are experienced enough to know the best interest of the bird.
And you'd have to believe the RSPB are experienced enough to know the best interest of the bird.
If you hadn't called the RSPB, then what would you have done?
I'm sure that they don't take the decision to put an animal to sleep lightly and if that is what happened then I think that you can assume that it was the best/only option.
You also certainly did the right thing by helping the Buzzard. It would have had a long and painful death if you had just left it. It couldn't fly, it couldn't eat - it's chances of survival were minimal.
I'm sure that they don't take the decision to put an animal to sleep lightly and if that is what happened then I think that you can assume that it was the best/only option.
You also certainly did the right thing by helping the Buzzard. It would have had a long and painful death if you had just left it. It couldn't fly, it couldn't eat - it's chances of survival were minimal.
Jasandjules said:
When it comes to the RSPB and the RSPCA, I will always go to a local animal rescue centre instead........
Not sure that is going to make the OP feel any better! Most local rescues wouldn't have the first clue about birds of prey but find a good wildlife centre (Like Secret World) and you're onto a winner that is true 
TR4man said:
Really?
Why?
Because IME they will destroy most animals instead of repairing them. I have been there and regretted it and I have had to take a cat from them by force before now - well, by getting very noisy in reception..... That cat lived with us for about 8 years and they were going to PTS her.Why?
My local rescues however will help everything possible - even pigeons I've taken to them have had wings repaired and they get released.
Bex, I may be lucky but my local place deal with owls and a few others in any event.
Jasandjules said:
TR4man said:
Really?
Why?
Because IME they will destroy most animals instead of repairing them. I have been there and regretted it and I have had to take a cat from them by force before now - well, by getting very noisy in reception..... That cat lived with us for about 8 years and they were going to PTS her.Why?
My local rescues however will help everything possible - even pigeons I've taken to them have had wings repaired and they get released.
Bex, I may be lucky but my local place deal with owls and a few others in any event.
Sebring440 said:
And you have direct experience of the RSPB doing this? (You say you have.)
Please elaborate.
We called the RSPB before the RSPCA for the pigeon. They were not interested. The RSPCA were interested to the extent of killing it. From then on the pigeons go to the local place who repair and release them.Please elaborate.
And whilst not directly relevant, the RSPB support wind farms. Those rare bird and bat massacring monstrosities. What little respect I had for them was reduced to zero at that point.
Something tickles me about the thought of repairing an animal like it were a car.Jasandjules said:
We called the RSPB before the RSPCA for the pigeon. They were not interested. The RSPCA were interested to the extent of killing it. From then on the pigeons go to the local place who repair and release them.
And whilst not directly relevant, the RSPB support wind farms. Those rare bird and bat massacring monstrosities. What little respect I had for them was reduced to zero at that point.
This must vary by location. My wife volunteered at a rescue charity in Washington. They have an eclosure with a pool like you would see penguins in at a zoo and the RSPCA frequently took gulls there for recuperation, there were often around 100 at a time.And whilst not directly relevant, the RSPB support wind farms. Those rare bird and bat massacring monstrosities. What little respect I had for them was reduced to zero at that point.
Jasandjules said:
We called the RSPB before the RSPCA for the pigeon. They were not interested. The RSPCA were interested to the extent of killing it. From then on the pigeons go to the local place who repair and release them.
And whilst not directly relevant, the RSPB support wind farms. Those rare bird and bat massacring monstrosities. What little respect I had for them was reduced to zero at that point.
I rescued a raven last year. No one really seemed bothered. I was told to take it to a local vet. I do not known what happened after that.And whilst not directly relevant, the RSPB support wind farms. Those rare bird and bat massacring monstrosities. What little respect I had for them was reduced to zero at that point.
Rescued a bat this week, the batman was well on it, local volunteer was round in under an hour and he took it away.
I salute these unpaid volunteers.
Zoon said:
Crush said:
My grandmother reported an ill cat she had recovered to the RSPCA. They collected it and sent her a bill for killing it.
Ridiculous if true.They dont give a s
te who the owner is (to bill) as far as they are concerned, he who hands it in, pays.Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff