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INTRODUCTION TO THE ANNUAL REPORT 2001

The problem with the strays came a little bit closer to a solution, because we’re busy with trying to catch the dogs and house them on a separate field. Over there they will be fed & lodged. During their stay over there they all will come over here to be spayed / neutered. As well they will become a tattoo in the ear. It won’t be a Shelter, but it will be a reception-centre for the wintertime (the time in which lambs are born and in which massive poisoning is regular)

The real great amount of medicines we received from several pharmaceutical firms & from vets, resulted in sending parts of OUR surplus to: several people who are taking care of stray cats & dogs on the Island; our colleague-wildlife hospital on Paros and to our first-aid-station in Thessaloniki. Lots of good is done (and will be done) with it.

2001 IN FIGURES

That we had “to cope” with lesser intakes than in the year 2000 will be clear for everyone. Although was the total sum of animal-species 65 [in 2000 this was 69]; and from those 12 [7] were totally new for us. The Animal-Ambulance drove 5710 [5901] kilometres to get / release animals & birds. From our 292 intakes, 29 were thrown-away puppies & kittens ( and we’ll mention them from this year on separately, because we don’t want a wrong idea about our final results) who came for euthanasia. From our 263 intakes, 14 were traffic-victims, 28 were shot down, 52 young animals ( we still tried to save their lives) JUV, 8 were poisoned, 20 were ill, 23 were maltreated (on purpose) or treated wrongly (ignorance), 60 were injured, but the cause wasn’t hunting or traffic, and 66 came in for other reasons.

WHAT DID WE DO WITH THEM c.q. COULD WE DO ?

105 we could release well, and that is ± 40 %, 79 died, 22 we had to put down, 21 are still under treatment, 12 remained invalid and 23 we had to send / could send somewhere else (export to Holland, Belgium & Austria).

Financial Summary 2001

Negative balance over 2000		€ 144.-
INCOME 2001
from SDV	€ 2245,05
from GAR	€ 1594,89
from GAWF	€ 2355,30
from RSPCA	€ 5732,07
donations -
members etc	€ 8582,83
total	€ 20510,14	€ 20.510,14
		€ 20.366,14
SPENDINGS 2001
food strays	€ 566,98
food LWH	€ 3552,85
building	€ 2633,91
keeping	€ 543,79
medicines etc	€ 481,68
ambulance	€ 967,19
other	€ 3366,66
	€ 12113,06	€ 12113,06
POSITIVE BALANCE		€ 8.253,08 (*)
“Wildpark”		€ 7276,57
Remains as positive balance		€ 976,51

(*) of this € 7276,57 is ONLY for building the “ Wildpark” (condition of the spenders)

Like one can read on the opposite page, the estimate for building the “wild-park” is a multiple of what was “left over” from 2001. And this was only because there was no manpower to build and because the winter was so cold that building was impossible. So your donation for 2002 at least € 15.- please !

The year 2001, month after month (in contrary with the years before, we won’t publish any table and/or graphics, but we’ll give a summary by month. New species of animals are underlined).

January 2001: the whole month busy with looking for houses, but no concrete results till now on. Total amount of intakes: 21 of which

DOGS: 5. One injured > first aid given > OK. The second was thrown away and in a very bad condition > † The third was dead already and came only for a post-mortem. Number 4 came for first aid and we were able to “repair” him. Number 5 came for first aid as well (we did so) and sent the dog to a vet afterwards. The prognosis however wasn’t good.

PERSIAN SQUIRREL: 1 > shot down and died after some hours. The post-mortem showed a “sieve”.

LITTLE OWL: 1 > wasn’t able to fly any more. We were able to “patch her up” (escaped months later and could fly very well)

BUZZARDS: 6 > four shot down, one had eaten “something wrong” and the last had “only” a broken wing. One we had to put asleep (after almost a month of treatment); the one with the broken wing could fly away (months later); the one with the food-poisoning is still present (problems with the feather-grow and we were able to release another one (as well months later). The other two remained invalid.

HOUSE-SPARROW: 1, after traffic-accident. Died in our hands.

CORMORANT: 1 (see photo 6). Came in with a very bad fracture of the wing (upper arm), after having drifted on sea for days. In spite of splint & lots of antibiotics died of a sepsis (blood-poisoning).

CAIRINA MOSCHATA (dom): (our “Donald”). Was discovered in the neighbourhood of the Airport . Didn’t want to eat and was very thin. We were able to patch him up. (went at last to a acquaintance where he turned out to be a SHE. Is now named DAISY and mother of a whole brood of ducklings).

BLACKBIRD: 1 > fracture of the right wing > OK (released months later).

QUAIL: 1 with a pneumonia. Cured and OK back.

GREY HERON: 1 > total exhaustion. Died the same day.

CATS: 2 of which one with cat-flew ( cured and back) and one came for castration. This one as well left OK (5 gram less heavier).

February 2001: this month as well very busy with looking for houses, and it seems the luck is going to be with us. The Community of Agia Paraskevi has offered us a pine-forest of about 3000 M². Total amount of intakes: 12, of which

STALLION: 1 > first aid by severe leg-injuries > OK

YELLOWLEGGED GULL: 1 > severe wing-injury. After a month of treatment sent to our “colleague-hospital” on Paros (as an invalid).

SPARROWHAWK: 1 with wing-injury. Remained disabled (we thought, because he escaped some months later & could fly very well)

DOGS: 2; the first was overrun by a car ( and we really had to stitch her together > jigsaw-puzzle) > OK, but she will never win a beauty-contest any more ! The second was poisoned and that dog we were able so save.

PIGEONS: 2 > the first had landed in old olive-oil and that “etched-away” the whole skin ( & feathers). After lots of cleanings he should wait for new feathers (escaped months later). The second came from Thessalonica and had digestive-problems. (is after months & months OK now).

COCK: 1 > injured > first aid was given > OK

BUZZARD: 1 > shot down. Cured > OK (released in March)

DOG FOX: 1 > shot down. Died and by the post-mortem we saw a perforation of the lungs with lots of blood in it.

COLLARED DOVES: 2 > both from Thessalonica (by plane). The second was a baby, that didn’t make it and the first refused to eat. We were able to change that bad habit & released him afterwards. This month arrived a volunteer for 4 months.

March 2001: we signed the provisional contract of sale for a house and started with cleaning & removing. Total amount of intakes: 28, of which

CATS: 10. One cat came for an contraceptive injection whereas her five just-born kittens were put asleep; one cat came for sterilization > OK and 3 thrown-away kittens were put asleep.

ROCKDOVE: 1 > fallen out of the nest > grown up into an adult one & released.

COLLARED DOVES: 2, of which the first one had a broken wing. Seemed to stay invalid (but escaped WELL in October). The second one was injured and was put (to revalidate) in the big aviary (over where he produced offspring!) (is released the end of June).

DOGS: 6, of which 5 thrown-away puppies (put asleep). Number 6 came for first-aid and recovered well.

BUZZARDS: 2 > the first had an old fracture of the wing > was already disabled & still is. The second stinked to high heaven > had eaten something wrong (during the surgery we discovered HALF a SPARROWHAWK in the crop). After emptying of the crop we could release him on April 1st.

KESTRELS: 4 ( 2 - 2 ). They all came from our colleague-hospital on Paros. Two of those were send over there by us a year ago for revalidation. All 4 were released well.

HOODED CROW: 1 > from Thessalonica. Severe wing-injury and is still here (as an invalid)

YELLOWLEGGED GULL: 1 with problems with the left wing. Is patched up and released in April. This month as well we had a trainee for 6 weeks & on the last day of March arrived two (almost finished) Vets for one month.

April 2001: the whole month busy with electricity, demolishing of furnaces etc. Total amount of intakes: 37, of which

DOGS (puppies): 4, of which one was poisoned > irretrievable lost; 2 are already exported into Holland and the last one is going in the same direction next month.

DOGS: 1 bitch > poisoned > we could save her life.

CATS (kittens): 8, of which three are still alive & under treatment; 2 died a normal death and 3 we had to put asleep.

CATS: 2 Tom-cats (for removing their “crown-jewels”)

PIGEON: 1 (from Thessalonica) with Trichomonadiosis > is still under treatment (released in the meantime)

ROCKDOVE: 1 Juvenile with a broken wing. Is still under treatment. (remained invalid and is now mother of two little ones)

SLENDERBILLED GULL: 1 > injured. Is released well.

YELLOWLEGGED GULL: 1 > was flying during the Eastern-shooting into a “cloud of shot-pellets” > injury of one eye and the brain. Is probably disabled for life. (released in May > wasn’t holdable in an aviary > God bless)

PHEASANT: 1 > was found and nothing was wrong. Stays in the aviary till we’ll have a good solution for her.

PERSIAN SQUIRREL: 1 > bitten by a cat > OK

PALLID SWIFT: 1 > bitten > †

SPURRTIGHED TORTOISE: 1 with injuries on back-shell & belly-shell. Is still under treatment (but now hibernating of course)

GOLDFINCH: 1 > fallen out of the nest. Didn’t make it.

HOUSE-SPARROWS: 2 > reason as above. Still under treatment. (both released well)

BLACKBIRD: 1 > reason as above. Still under treatment. (released as well)

GREAT TITS: 7 (a complete nest) from Thessalonica; one is still alive > the other six didn’t make it. (the one still alive drowned in the aviary in Agia Paraskevi)

COLLARED DOVE: 1 > severe injured and everything was damaged > put asleep

TURTLEDOVE: 1 with a broken wing. Is still under treatment. (escaped in July)

WHITE PELICAN: 1 with severe leg-injury > the whole heel was open. Is treated and released well. We released as well a BUZZARD which was already a long time with us. In the stable the first temporary cages & aviaries are build. As well a concrete floor was made and a repair of the roof was done. We have running water now and a REAL toilet (not any more a hole in the bottom of the stable)

May 2001: only busy in the house & in the stable. Total amount of intakes: 28, of which

CATS (kittens): 5 (thrown-away). One we had to put down, 2 went to heaven and the last two are doing fine, but it has been a fight for day & night, because we had to drag them away from the gateways of hell ! (one we could re-home in Holland; the other is still here)

SCOPP’S OWL: 3 > were all three discovered in the chimney of the same house in two different circumstances. Reason ?? We could release them all 3. (see photo 10)

LITTLE BITTERN: 1 > exhausted. His body-weight was less than half of what it had to be ! We were able to pep him up and it was a wonderful sight by the release > the first time one FLOW away > normally they are running into the reed-beds.

BITCH: 1 (stray) for sterilization > isn’t able to produce offspring any more.

DOGS (puppies): 6, of which 5 put asleep (thrown away- just born); number 6 we could re-home in Holland.

BLACKBIRD: 1 (juvenile) > didn’t make it.

PIGEONS: 2, of which one with a broken leg + internal bleedings > died in our hands. The second had a lousy fracture of the leg > splinted. Is OK now and is in the big aviary for training. (released end of June)

PALLID SWIFT: 1 injured (open fracture of the wing). Didn’t make it.

REDRUMPED SWALLOW: 1 (wing-fracture) > is released very well.

HOUSE-SPARROWS: 3 > fallen /thrown out of the nest. (nest-misfits) > the result was as one could expect > all three fodder for the Barn-Owls (after †)

Hooded Crow: 1 > fallen from the nest. We’re still feeding this one. (escaped in June and was “gone by the wind”

GOLDFINCH: 1 > fallen out of the nest. Was very young and didn’t make it.

BROWN BARN-OWL: 1 > as well “disappeared” from the branch he/she was sitting on. We’re still feeding this baby. (released at the end of June)

CHICKEN: 1 > malnourished and maltreated. One of those many chickens who are sold by gypsies along the road and later kept on wrong (read: too less variety) food. Is recovering now. (left in June)

RELEASED: the Blackbird from April. We had a helper for one week from Holland and he succeeded in re-building the barn into a hospital.

June 2001: the last month in Loutropolis Thermis. Total amount of intakes: 38, of which

SWIFTS: 4, of which 1 juvenile & injured (> †); the other 3 were juveniles as well. One we could release well; the other two we had to put down because they weren’t able to fly (misfits).

PALLID SWIFTS: 2 > both with a fracture of the right wing. The first died and the second we had to put down after three weeks of treatment.

HOUSE-SPARROWS: 4 of which 2 juveniles (both left well); 1 juvenile & bitten by a cat > † and the last juvenile didn’t make it.

COLLARED DOVES: 6, of which 1 bitten by a cat (is escaped later); one fallen out of the nest (next day †); two fallen out of the nest and after 1 week †) and the last two were born in the aviary in Thermis (see March) and nourished by hand.

GREENFINCHES: 2 > both fallen out of the nest. The first had brain-injury because of that as well. Both †

CATS: 5 kittens > all thrown away. Two put down immediately, 2 we could export into Holland and number 5 fell from the first floor & broke his neck (“thanks to” the mother-feelings of one of the foster-mothers > she was carrying the kittens around & around through the house).

BROWN BARN-OWL: 1 juvenile. We could raise this bird and release it afterwards.

GREATER FLAMINGO: 1, with a leg-injury ( the maggots were everywhere !) Came from the “Holy Mountain” (Athos) and died the day of arrival.

MARTINS: 5 > a complete nest. One died after 1 week; the other 4 we could release well.

YELLOWLEGGED GULLS: 3 of which 1 was injured (we could “repair” that) > OK ; the second was maltreated (one had cut all his big feathers) > † and the third was old and died in a natural way.

EAGLE OWL: 1 juvenile, discovered in the centre of Mytilene in a chicken-house where she had “molested” some chickens. Had a huge injury on a wing (with maggots). We could cure that and she escaped later. (see photo 7)

SCOPP’S OWL: 1 > our first patient in Agia Paraskevi. Was a juvenile and is released later very well.

DOG: 1 (Rotweiler-puppy) > was thrown-away. Was put asleep.

PIGEONS: (cross-breed Pigeon & Rock-dove) 2 > born from disabled parents in the aviary in Thermis. We nourished them by hand and both could be released later in the year. We had a helper from Holland (“our Vet”) who helped us to make our move from Thermis to Agia Paraskevi more successful.

July 2001: our main problem: who has seen what and where is it ?? Released c.q. escaped: 1 Collared Dove (some months ago the crop was destroyed by a cat-bite) & 1 Turtle Dove (came in almost without feathers & with many injuries, as well some months ago). Total amount of intakes: 19, of which

PIGEONS: 3. Two of them from Thessalonica & number 3 from here. The last had escaped a cat & had hardly any feathers left > should wait for new ones. From the other two 1 had a Paramyxo-virus (is OK now) and the other had all kind of injuries due to maltreatment. Is still under treatment. (all three are OK, but two refused to leave !)

BITCH: 1 (SKAYA = shot-pellet) > like her name is telling, she was shot. We removed lots of shot-pellets, but her problem is a lamed leg (due to nerve-damage). After her heat she had a pussy-excrement and she is being treated for that at the moment. Next month she’ll “loose” her uterus, & we’ll remove some pellets in the same surgery.

YELLOWLEGGED GULLS: 2 > the first had eaten something “wrong” > could leave after some days. The second came with the ferry-boat from Chios > one wing till the shoulder one mass of maggots & gangrene > put asleep

CATS: 2 > the first came in with a broken jaw & a total destruction of the knee. (ligaments & dislocation). After consulting one of our Vets in Holland decided to put him down. After some hours on the dead body we tried to put the knee together again > succeeded. Maybe something for the future. Number two came in in a horrible condition (photo 4): The right eye didn’t react on light anymore (pupil wide open); the left eye was one mass of pus with a very big hole in it; the left ear was complete bitten away with marks from teeth around and inside pus & maggots ! The poor soul was complete emaciated, because the infection had damaged the function of the jaw as well > she could only lick ! We decided to give her a chance and she is now not “under an umbrella” but under a “concrete roof” of antibiotics. (after two weeks her situation worsened > we had to put her asleep.

BUZZARDS: 3 (all juvenile and from this year). Due to the change in weather they weren’t able to catch prey > complete emaciated. Two didn’t make it (too far gone already) and the third is in de big aviary in the pine-forest, practising flying. Can leave in a week or so. (escaped September 1st)

SCOPP’S OWLS: 3 > one malnourished one (same reason as the Buzzards) > †, and the two others came by ferry-boat from Chios and were juveniles. They can be released next month.

SWIFT: 1, bitten by a cat > †

LONGLEGGED BUZZARD: 1. Seemed to have been poisoned, but the post-mortem showed a death because of Diphteritis > one mass of white dots everywhere inside.

GOSHAWK: 1 (juv. & male). Same intake-reason as the three Buzzards, Is in the pine-forest now and eats, eats … Can be released soon. (escaped September 1st as well) * The surgery (constructing) is 95% ready. We had 3 helpers this month and they were “responsible” for the construction of the aviary in the garden & for the 2 temporary-aviaries in the pine-forest.

August 2001: toiling & constructing We could release the two Scopp’s Owls from July. Export into Belgium: 1 little Tom-cat. Total amount of intakes: 23, of which

COLLARED DOVE: 1 > a baby from Chios. Was put on the wrong ferry-boat and had tramped over half of the Mediterranean before it arrived here > didn’t survive this mistake ! (too long without food)

SCOPP’S OWL: 1, as well from Chios. Didn’t even survive the trip.

YELLOWLEGGED GULL: 1 > fishing-line around 1 leg > the leg was black & mummified > lag-amputation and an artificial leg was given > released as soon as possible and hoped the best of it.

SWALLOW: 1 > cat-bite. After 3 days of antibiotics released in a good condition.

BITCH: 1 from Athens > fracture of the hip & a fracture just above the knee (same leg). Should have a hernia (groin) as well. Is running now over the roof of the stable and the hernia showed up to be a bleeding mamma-gland due to the traffic-accident. Is ready now to be re-homed.(was re-homed in October in Athens)

BROWN BARNOWL: 1, came in mal-nourished > died 3 days later. The post-mortem showed Diphteritis.

Cross-breed WHITE x BROWN BARNOWL: 2. The first came in total emaciated > died after 4 days because it refused the food (vomited till it died > no confidence any more); the second came in in the same condition. We could keep it alive for 16 days, and there was some improvement, but this one didn’t believe in it any more as well > †

PIGEON: 1 from Chios > leg-problems (bumble-foot). Is eating now but not releasable any more.

NIGHTJAR: 1 > fracture left leg > died after some hours due to internal bleedings.

SWIFT: 1 (small baby) > we were able to keep it alive for 9 days, but it gave up. The Barn Owls could appreciate this initiative.

TOM-CAT: 1 > poisoned (??) Was already “brain-dead” so we stopped suffering.

CHICKEN: 2 > the only survivors of a whole bag (more than 500 !) “dead” chickens (something went wrong in a chicken-farm). We wonder how many chickens were thrown alive (but unconscious) in that bag & died because of pressure & temperature. 3 Were still alive when we opened the bag, but 1 we put down immediately. The second held it out for 3 days and ended its carrier in the cage of the Barn Owls. Number 3 (its name became 2‰ ) is doing well and can stay till the end of its life.

HEN: 1 > bitten by a dog > lamed legs. With physiotherapy we could bring life back in 1 leg, but the other refused to do something > put down.

BLACKWINGED STILT: 1, with a “lousy” broken wing (already days old) > didn’t make it and was reduced into food for the Eagle Owls.

KINGFISHER: > 1, bitten by a cat. In spite of antibiotics he got convulsions the day after intake and died. (photo 12)

JACKDAW: 1 (quite rare over here) > open fracture of the radius (2 cm of dead bone came out of the injury). The dead material was removed and the ulna has taken over the function quite well. Injury is almost closed now. Will remain disabled probably. (he is !)

MARSH WARBLER: 1 > bitten by a cat > the whole back was destroyed & a lame leg > †

PADDYFIELD WARBLER: 1 > same story, same result > †

SPARROWHAWK: 1 > shot down > wing-fracture. The wing is OK now & he starts to eat by its own. Is going in a few days to Paros for flying-exercises > will come back after the hunting-period for release. Release of the two Scopp’s Owls from July. 2 helpers from Holland for several weeks this month A very quiet month after all > we’re already busy with outlining of the cages in the pine-forest, but toiling more than 7500 kilo of concrete-bricks isn’t so healthy for one’s back !

September 2001: the surgery is almost ready, and in spite of the “almost” we did already 2 sterilisations on strays this month. Total amount of intakes: 17 (so quiet), of which

ROCKDOVE: 1 > total emaciated & still under treatment. Reason ?? (is now mother of 2 babies)

CATS: 6 > four of those were adopted by Dutch tourists and spent their time over here till they could leave for Holland; 1 had cat-flew, ear-mites and so on. Is still under treatment (is ok now, but very shy) and number 6 came for sterilisation and within 45 minutes we removed all. Is still under treatment.

ELEONORA’S FALCON: 1 > of this species there are only 3000 in the whole of Greece ! Probably it was a traffic-accident (had all the symptoms of brain-damage) and died because of that.

COLLARED DOVES: 2 > the first was fallen from the nest and the “internal” had some damage because of the fall > didn’t make it. The second came in with a part of the wing missing (bite ?) > is still under treatment, bur will remain invalid.

ROLLER: 1 > very rare bird; even over here. Was shot down (wing) and is missing from 1 foot two toes and from the other foot 1 toe half > not releasable any more! An English Camera-Crew came special to film this bird ! (see photo 11)

DOGS: 3 > all brought-in by tourists who wanted to take pity on the animals. Two went to Holland and the third went (highly pregnant > she gave birth the day after her arrival !) without vaccinations to Austria, where our Certificate of Health was accepted without any problem !

BEE-EATER: 1 > shot down (wing). This beautiful bird (photo 5) will be released in the beginning of next month. (so let it be written & so is it done > fantastic fly-show!)

AFRICAN GREY PARROT: 1 > had a severe cold & pneumonia. The local Vets didn’t know how to handle such a bird > they sent the owner to us. The bird went the last day of the month back to the owner ( to our relief, because the rotter was able to bite through very thick leather gloves, every time we had to give him his injection !) * we were able to sent out of our truce of stray cats (came in in the past & stayed) 3 cats to Holland. From what we hear everything is OK. The Head of RSPCA (International) visited our Hospital and he wrote in our Guest-book: “That the RSPCA has associated the Lesbian Wildlife Hospital shows the high level of work and expertise delivered by Ineke & Joris to the wildlife & pets of Lesvos; the new aviaries that the RSPCA has helped to sponsor give a wonderful new opportunity to continue this work; the phoenix will rise from the ashes and the other birds of Lesvos will be more secure” David Bowles, Head International RSPCA The coming month we must start to care a little bit for ourselves, because the winter is coming and we should have heating by that time (till now on: negative !) As well a lot of windows should have glass (not for 80 years they had any glass in it !).

October 2001: lots of work in & around the house > windows etc. Ineke has been teaching in the Primary School & in the Secondary School in the village about our work. “Thanks to” the alcohol-problem of our plumber (he is going back to Germany to a special clinic to be “dry” again) we’ll try to cope this winter without central heating ! Let’s hope it will be a mild winter ! (for THAT read the month of December !) Total amount of intakes: 15, of which

MOORHEN: 2 (juveniles) . The first had a traffic-accident > concussion of the brain & some other injuries (big hole in the breast). Is stitched & released after 10 days. The second was only exhausted and this one is released well after some days of good feeding.

RABBIT (male): 1. Was brought by children because he was pissing blood. Didn’t make it (or had the father of the children other ideas ?)

PUPPIES (2-1) > just born > put down & used as fodder for the Eagle Owls.

COLLARED DOVES: 2 > the first came with the ferry-boat from Chios and was already dead before arrival. The second was a “misfit” > discovered under a tree & in a bad condition. Didn’t make it.

COCK-TURKEY: 1 > ill (mucus out of the nose etc). Is treated with DOXYCYCLINE & back to the owner in a good condition. This case gave us some “name” on the Island by Turkey-breeders !

CATS: 3 > two of them were strays from Molyvos > one was taken to Holland and the second “lost” over here his “crown-jewels” and is busy with re-socializing. The third was a thrown-away kitten, brought by children from the village. It died, in spite of a whole night of care-taking by Ineke.

SPARROWHAWK: 1 > shot down female. Is eating on her own, is flying not so badly and we’ll try to keep her till the end of the hunting-season.(escaped in November)

HOODED CROW: 1 > had paralysed legs (probably after a traffic-accident). While we were busy with Physiotherapy trying to give it back some movement of the legs, the bird didn’t believe in it any more > gave all the food back and died.

WHITE BARN OWL: 1 > was brought in via a Vet over here with the story that “the bird had made a contact with electricity-cables.” We have seen before those “pretty” round holes, and that’s NOT from a cable, but from shot-pellets ! One leg is badly injured and at least one tendon is gone > was hanging out. We’re still treating the bird and we hope we can save the leg. ( we had to amputate the leg in December > was dead !)

Released/escaped: 2 Collared Doves (we had them for years > one had a metal ring from more than 3 years back) were less invalid than we had thought > escaped. Our Chicken 2‰ has found a new home, because we couldn’t keep him/her in the Aviary anymore > started to eat little Zebra-finches ! Our baby-Eagle Owl is escaped and we don’t exclude the possibility that malevolent the lock of the aviary was forced > the door was wide open ! With the last charter-flight from this year we were able to export two cats (ex-strays) to Holland > one was since 1997 with us, and the other since May 2000. Both were sterilized.

November 2001: and it started to be chilly & cold ! Total amount of intakes: 25, of which

CATS: 9 > the first was badly malnourished & thrown away > after 5 days put asleep (photo 3). The second was our own Blacky who was discovered poisoned in the street > able to save his life that time. The third was a young Tom-cat, and another technique of castrating was showed to our (almost-)Vet. Number 4 was again Blacky > poisoned again and no cure possible this time. He came again home, so we knew what was wrong. The fifth was a thrown-away kitten, what had a very bad prognosis > Had to put it down after some hours. Number 6 was a very ill cat (white & deaf), we could cure. Seven was our own MAYA, who came home poisoned, but we couldn’t save her life. Eight was a thrown-away kitten from Mytilene with severe cat-flew & totally mal-nourished > after one day we stopped the suffering. The last one was a kitten with diarrhoea (brought-in by the local G.P.) and we could give medicines & feeding-advices. The G.P. offered assistance in the future with surgeries.

DOGS: as well 9. One was shot > first aid was given and sent to a Vet. The second was a bitch we deprived from being a mother again. On this bitch a new technique of stitching (for us) is demonstrated > we are now able to operate more strays (no need for housing & lodging anymore). Next came a box with 5 (2-3) thrown-away puppies; dumped in our pine-forest. There was a sixth as well, but this one was already in a state of decomposition. One can imagine the smell the puppies had around them. One of the five we had to put down > too bad condition & blind; the other 4 are growing & growing and for 3 of them we have already a new home (2 > Holland, 1 > Lesvos). (see photo 1 for those 3 puppies). A dog, who was treated by a local Vet came in by his request: “It’s only for a week > the dog needs rest, Joris. He has only a brain-concussion” That the dog had a broken hip as well, he hadn’t noticed ! The dog is starting to walk again. The latest was a puppy people had kept together with pigs in the same stable > a very bad infection of both eyes was the result > both eyes started already to be muddy. Some ophthalmic cream was given & advice how to lodge the poor thing in the future.

COCK-TURKEYS: 2 (after the well-treated first one our fame flied over the Island) with the same symptoms as the first one. Thanks to donated DOXYCYCLINE we could cure the first one (& later on the rest of the “flock”) and the second is still under treatment (left OK in the beginning of December).

DOXYCYCLINE was some months ago already sent to our colleague-hospital on Paros & to our first-aid-station in Thessalonica, and they are treating animals with this product now.

COLLARED DOVE: 1 with a hole in the arm-pit one could park-in a VW-beetle. That’s cured now and the bird is waiting for new feathers.

“WIG-HENS”: 2 with digestion-problems. They should eat like lions, but yet lose weight. As well symptoms of mucus. At first anti-parasites was given and this worked well out by number two. Of course anti-biotics were given. The crop of number one remained over-full, so we removed the contents (by surgery > lots of worms). She died in spite of that after 2 days. The post-mortem showed all the intestines filled with worms, but as well not-digested food IN the intestines (but NO stones in the stomach). The owner was given the advice to give anti-parasites to his whole “flock” and to give enough “stones”, which is done in the meantime.

PIGEON: 1 from Thessalonica (where the Vet. University of Greece is) with lots of holes in crop & breast. In spite of lots of advices given by us to the Vets over there, the injuries were stitched wrongly & with wrong material. Because the bird was an immense “fighter” (and still is), he came by plane over here. We removed lots of dead tissue and were able to stitch the whole breast & crop. (the bird is fine now) A quiet month, but we had the same information from Paros. Our invalid BARN OWLS have offspring and those babies are growing very fast (see photo 2) We had for a fortnight an (almost) finished Vet from Holland as help.

December 2001: this month showed up to be the coldest one had recorded in more than 100 year and we have known that ! Snowed-in, ambulance stuck in the snow, burst water-pipe & freezing cold IN the house. Our baby-Barn Owls are diminished to two and they are growing very fast. Where the other two went ?? Total amount of intakes: 25, of which

SPARROWHAWK: 1 > shot down. Is good (escaped).

BUZZARD: 1 > and as well shot down. We could count 12 pellet-holes under which in the head. The broken wing is OK now, but probably there will remain brain-damage. Is in the big aviary in the pine-forest now.

BITCH: 1 stray for sterilisation. OK

BITTERNS: 4 > 2 of them shot down, 1 traffic-accident and 1 exhausted. The first one had “only” 1 pellet, but that one destroyed the spinal marrow > both legs lamed > put down after a week. The second had as well 1 pellet, but in the head > is OK till now on. Number 3 was overrun by a car > smashed leg & produced bloody manure > no good prognosis. Was dead next morning and the post-mortem showed internal bleedings but as well a broken pelvis. The last one “fell” from the air > totally exhausted. We removed a piece of reed out of one ear > maybe the cause of “not being able to hunt” ? Is still under treatment.

TEALS: 3 > all shot down. No-one survived.

HEN HARRIER: 1 (fem) > shot down. Had a lousy fracture of the wing (days & days old > malnourished). Gave-up the battle after a week.

COOTS: 2 > the first had a contact with some wires during the flight > † of internal bleedings. The second was shot down and had a broken wing. That’s cured now and we hope we can release him/her in March.

MUTE SWANS: 3, of which 2 juveniles (brown ones). The first one came from Thessalonica (slightly injured; of course by . . .) and will stay till the end of hunting-period. The second was an adult > was shot down & was floating in the Gulf of Kallonis > picked-up by a fisherman. Very, very badly fracture of the wing with pieces of bone penetrating everywhere through the skin. We could reshape this mass into a wing again, but the bird died after 2 days in spite of all our efforts. The third was discovered by the same fisherman > only 1 pellet, but just behind the eye ! Died after 4 days.

MEDITERRANEAN GULL: 1 > wing-problems. Is released the first day of Christmas.

MALLARD: 3 > two females, one male > all three gun-fodder. The first died after 3 days, the second (with a broken wing) we are still treating and number 3 (with a broken wing as well & a pellet through the neck) we’re treating. The prognosis for the two fractures aren’t good.

EAGLE OWL: 1 > during heavy weather discovered just above the Airport in a field, where he was walking with a hanging wing during daytime (not a normal behaviour for such a bird). Because that heavy weather in Mytilini only was heavy rainfall, but over here the snowstorm of the century, we phoned the Forest-patrol to pick up the bird. When we got the call “got him”, it didn’t snow anymore over here, so a meeting-point was agreed (in Lambou Mili, half-way for both of us). The road through the mountains was practicable, but that’s all we could say. Waiting in Lambou Mili a new snowstorm came over our heads. The Eagle Owl was exchanged and we could start the way back. After the first corner a huge lorry was on its side on the road, and we had to move into the verge to make space for the fire-brigade. After one hour we could continue our way, but the car moved only in the wrong direction > black-ice under the wheels. With a 4 × 4 with non-skid chains we could reach the base again (flapping from left to the right) and treat the bird. We were the last car that did the road > it was already closed after our back. The ambulance stood there for two days in the snow, till the road was open again. The Eagle Owl wasn’t shot, but had very bad injuries on its left wing (electrocution ?) Is still under treatment, but the wing isn’t good.

GREATER FLAMINGO: (not in the records) 1 > arrived alive at the police-station with 2 next to amputated legs. Died over there & the police wanted to know if this was a hunting-victim. By the post-mortem we discovered no shot-entrees, and because the bird was discovered ON the road, a traffic-accident was probably the cause.

PERSIAN SQUIRREL: 1 > shot. Died the same evening

LESSER WHITEFRONTED GOOSE: 1 (first record on Lesvos) > shot down & died after 2 days. There should have been more of this species, because geese never come alone. What happened with them . . . . .

COLLARED DOVE: 1 > shot down. Open fracture of the wing, injury of the beak etc. Still under treatment.

CAIRINA MOSCHATA ( Musk-duck ?) : 1 > probably a child from our “Donald/Daisy”, because those children were given away. Wasn’t able to fly. Is still under treatment

LITTLE OWL: 1 from Chios. We had to take this one from the ferry-boat on New Years’s Eve, and this took hours, because the ship couldn’t moor due to heavy wind. A broken wing > still under treatment.

(recorded till December 30th, 20.00 local time)

***

www.lesvosisland.com/wildlife hosp.shtml

www.wildlifeonlesvos.org

www.greenlesbos.com/

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Jahresbericht 2000

Text Deutsch

Wir müssen unser Zuhause verlassen!
Unser Vermieter hat uns auf 1.1.2001 gekündigt. Er rief uns heute (6.12.2000) an und teilte uns mit, wir sollten keine Verlängerung des Mietvertrages auf Beginn des Jahres 2001 erwarten. Aus welchem
Grund nur? Wir weigern uns, aus unseren Haustieren streunende Strassenhunde und -katzen zu machen. Am 1.9.2000 wurde uns mitgeteilt, dass wir endgültig und vollständig unsere vier Hunde und 18 Katzen loswerden sollten, denn unser
Vermieter "liebte es gar nicht, dass ... Katzen kamen und sich auf seinen Schoss setzten, als er uns besuchte".

Entweder sollten wir die Hunde und Katzen auf irgendein Feld weg von unserer Wohnung plazieren (und leider verfügen wir (noch) über keines), oder wir sollten die Tiere einfach aus unserer Wohnung schmeissen. Natürlich, verweigerten wir
dies kategorisch.

Der Bürgermeister unserer Gemeinde versuchte uns zu helfen. Er liess überall unsere Flugblätter aufhängen (in sieben Dörfern) mit unserer Bitte nach einem neuen Zuhause, wo wir leben, arbeiten und unsere Tiere (sowohl Haus- wie Wildtiere)
behalten können. Bis jetzt leider blieb diese Bemühungen ohne Resultat!

Sollten wir den Forderungen unseres Vermieter nachgeben, dann wird er ganz sicher mit anderen idiotischen Forderungen kommen >>> "Er will uns nur loswerden, um noch mehr Geld verdienen zu können; und dabei leben wir dort schon seit elf
Jahren!" Aber wir geben ganz sicher nicht auf; und es ist auch ganz sicher, dass wir alle gesetzlichen Mittel ausschöpfen werden, um unseren Schaden möglichst klein zu halten.

Abe es ist ebenso sicher, dass wir auf Dauer nicht in dieser Wohnung bleiben können!!!

Auf jeden Fall aber fahren wir mit unserer Arbeit auf Lesvos fort, wo auch immer es dann sein mag.

Die Zahl der Hunde und Katzen in unserem Haus hat abgenommen (und zwar aus natürlichen Gründen) auf fünf Hunde und 16 Katzen. Die meisten dieser Katzen kann man nicht in ein neues Zuhause geben, denn sie sind entweder ganz oder
teilweise blind. Und sie sind unsere Haustiere, nicht unsere Patienten. Unsere "Klinik" ist nicht einfach nur ein "Auffanglager für verwahrloste Haustiere" und soll es auch nicht werden. Aber wenn es keine vertragliche Vereinbarung in unserem
Mietvertrag gibt über die Zahl der Haustiere und unser Vermieter bis vor zwei Jahren überhaupt kein Problem mit allen unseren Haustieren hatte und er den Mietvertrag immer wieder ohne Probleme erneuert hatte und wir jetzt sogar weniger
Hunde und Katzen als früher haben, dann ist etwas faul an der Sache! Und es ist nicht unser Haus oder unser Garten, der stinkt.

Annual Report for the year 2000

Landlord is giving notice by 1-1-2001. Today ( 06-12-2000 ) our landlord phoned us and told us we shouldn't expect a renewal of the lease by the first of January .

R E A S O N ? ? ? ? ? ? ? We refuse to make our pets STRAY DOGS & - CATS

The first of September we were told that we ABSOLUTELY and DEFINITIVELY should abandon FOUR DOGS & EIGHTEEN CATS , because the landlord  " didn't  like it that ... there came cats sitting on his lap when he visited us " We should place the dogs and cats SOMEWHERE on a field ( we don't have [ yet] ) , except for two dogs and two cats we could keep, otherwise we couldn't live here anymore. Because our PETS are no animals to put out into a field, we said we refused to do that! We neither can put them on the street as STRAY dogs and -cats.

THAT WE CANNOT STAY ANYMORE OVERHERE IN THIS WAY IS FOR SURE!!! But we are not going to take it lying down and we will use all legitimate means to keep the damage as small as possible. Our Mayor has tried to help us by hanging everywhere in the community  ( 7 villages )  leaflets with our demands for a new placto live , to work & to keep the animals ( pets & Wildlife ).

TILL NOW ON  NO RESULTS ! BUT WE'LL CONTINUE ; WHEREVER IT MAY BE . The number of dogs & cats in the house has diminished ( by natural causes )  till 5 dogs and 16 cats . Most  of  those cats  cannot  be
REHOMED  ( blind ,  or half-blind ) and they are PETS  for us ,  and NO patients . We are NO SHELTER and we DON'T want to become a shelter . But when in a lease - contract  no word is spoken about the number of pets , the landlord till two years ago had no problems at all with our pets and without any problem renewed the lease-contract and we now even  have lesser DOGS & CATS than by that time , then

THERE IS SOMETHING REALLY WRONG AND WE WONDER WHY!!

2 0 0 0   I N   F I G U R E S

Last year was a clear "record" compared with 1999 !! The total sum of animal-species was 69 [ in 1999 this was 68 ] , and from those  7 [ 18 ] were totally new for us. The Animal-Ambulance drove 5901 [4383 ] kilometers to get / or to release animals & birds.

Of our 393 intakes, 27 were traffic-victims, 27 were shot down, 126 young animals (frequently thrown away !! ) [JUV] , 9 were
poisoned, 27 were ill, 24 were maltreated (on purpose !) or treated wrongly (ignorance) , 82 were injured  but the cause wasn't hunting or traffic, and 70 came in because of other reasons.

WHAT DID WE DO WITH THEM c.q. COULD WE DO ?
165 we could release well , and that's 42 % , 95 died , 78 we had to euthanize (and that is inclusive all the thrown-away puppies & kittens)
9 are still under treatment, 21 remained invalid and are a "lasting GAIN"  for us and / or for our Colleague - Wildlife Hospital on Paros
and 25 we had to send / could send somewhere else; either for further treatment , or the animal was (re-) homed (export) or we didn't have
room anymore . For the exact figures per animal-specie see printed annual report pages 9 & 12

INTRODUCTION TO THE ANNUAL REPORT 2000

As you have read on pages 2 & 3 of the printed report a lot has happened in the past year: both positive and negative. Really positive has worked out the contact with the "Foundation for Animalhelp for Venezuela", who helped us with lots of materials and money. We hope we can continue the cooperation in a, for both sides, satisfactory way.

Somewhat negative was that our 12 year old SEAT Marbella (more a car for tourists ) which we rebuilt as an Animal-Ambulance, was not so reliable anymore for all the distances we are making. Our "little red dragon" has served us perfectly during 6,5 years and survived several crashes, protecting us very well. With a generous gift from a lady from Switzerland (she wants to stay anonymous ) and an even more generous gift from Ineke's father we could buy for our work (and for ourselves of course ) a brandnew SEAT Inca combi. She already did a good job lots of times as an ambulance. And at the coming removal she wil be a great help as well . ( see picture below)

Contacts are extended with the Department Veterinary Science of the University of Utrecht  (Holland) and we hope some more trainees will
come and help us next year. That goes the same for one of the Trainings for Veterinary-Nurses in Holland.
 

A  C A L L  T O  H E L P  T H E M !

The fact that the WILDLIFE HOSPITAL must leave its present location (living & working),  has of course caused a lot of COMMOTION.
It is common knowledge for most of you , that Ineke & Joris for many years already ( almost ) CONTINUOUSLY  ( and that means 365 days a year ! ! ) give all their forces / knowledge to the work.
Their devotion to the animals is SO HUGE , that their last holiday TOGETHER  was in  1 9 8 9 ! ! !
Maybe one can understand that it is almost the end of it for them. Considering this AND the fact that a removal is near ,  it  is  NOW of the highest importance that ALL POSSIBLE SUPPORT IS GIVEN TO THEM ! !
My " CALL FOR HELP " to ALL READERS of this Annual Report runs as follows :
ALL help is MORE than welcome : handy hands , generous gifts , bright brains , etc . etc . Everything  will be received with  open arms !
(I love working over here, but I prefere helping them in another way.)

                                   Marjan Vermeer
                                   Psychotherapist
                                   Paleochori - Lesvos
 

AT OUR COLOUR - PHOTOGRAPHS
The numbers relate to the photographs of the printed report. But you can easily identify most animals on the web, too!

1] Pippistrell (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) ; discovered by daylight in a street . By check-up nothing was discovered . So only feeding with mealworms . Was set free by night on the place of discovery .

2] Baby Scop's Owl ( Otus Scops ) ; was brought up by hand and set free at nightfall together with a brother / sister .

3] Tomcat (Felis catus) ; was maltreated by humans (among other things HANGED ! ! ) . So he came in and the right eye was irretrievable lost.

4 ] So the same Tomcat looks now > the eye is removed and closed properly . In the same operation he was neutered as well .

5 ] Hoopoe (Upupa epops ) : this beautiful bird was "treated" by kindhearted (but ignorant ! ) people with Redchrome . This fluid is poison for all birds , so this bird didn't make  and died from a  mercury-poisoning .

6 ] White Barnowl ( Tyto a. alba ) ; together with a fellow-sufferer badly beaten by humans ! ! Euthanasia was the only solution for both birds !

7 ] Redbacked Shrike ( Lanius collurio ) . Came in with a broken right wing . We were able to repair the fracture and the bird left in a good condition (was flying perfect ! )

8 ] Our "little sparrow" ; a Griffon Vulture with a wingspan of 252 cm ! Probably had lost its way and was only hungry ! We spent no pain nor expenses  to release this bird in the neighbourhood  of Mount Olympusin Northern Greece ( in Rapsàni ) .

9 ] Marsh Harrier ( Circus aeruginosus ) : collided with an airplane in Thessaloniki and wasn't able to fly any more . After 12 days of intensive treatment the  bird was sent back (by plane ) and released over there .Was flying  very well !

10 ] Release of a Barn Owl ( Tyto a. alba x Tyto a. guttata )  by one of our trainees . She had taken care of this bird since he came in as a baby .

11 ] This White Barn Owl is going to be released by his/her foster - parent. This one came in as a baby as well.

12 ] EDUCATION : imparting the youth love for nature and its creatures . This young chap is hand-feeding a baby Little Owl ( Athene noctua ) . We could release this one in a good condition .

13 ] Another special guest of our Wildlife Hospital : an Eagle Owl ! Europe's biggest owl . This young male has a wingspan of 170 cm ! Had an accident with electricity-cables > a very bad fracture of one of his wings . The fracture had healed (only wrongly !) in nature and the bird came in in a very malnourished condition . Is not-releasable (unfortunately ) but a beauty in his cage .

14 ] "Noah's Ark" , a tame young Buzzard ( Buteo buteo ) free on the cage of our Panama-Amazon-parrot "Oliver" , while one of the cats is sleeping on the same cage . The Buzzard later escaped out of our hands (was enough wild at that time ) and disappeared in the blue sky .

15 ] Although every  Greek declares  us  " completely nuts " when we take-in a young Vixen - cub ( Vulpes vulpes )  and bring her up " because those chicken-thieves and goat-killers you should destroy on the spot " , we still are refusing to do so , and this little girl could be released in good order .

16 ] One of our oldest animals , ` Skàla ` . We had to put her down , exactly
11,5 years old , because of a total paralysis .

17 ] One of the results of  Chernobyl > a Collared Dove ( Streptopelia decaocto ) covered with tumours ( Fibro-sarcome) . Lesvos catched a lot of radiation at the time . Lots of people as well are suffering of thyroid-disorders . This little bird we had to euthanize , because there was no saving possible .

RELEASE GRIFFON VULTURE
After we had decided that our "little sparrow" (the Griffon Vulture [ Gyps fulvus ] who came in on November 13th ) had "grown" enough to be released (in the 20 days of his / her stay overhere he / she consumed more than 20 kilo of good meat ! ) , the difficult question arised : WHERE , WHEN and HOW ?

Firstly we thought about the highest mountain on the Island , the Olympos (yes , indeed, we have that OVERHERE as well !) and throw him / her into the air with the hope that he / she should fly back in the direction of Turkey .
For several reasons Saturday, November 25th was chosen and the TV should be present early in the morning to put everything on film . On Friday , November 24th , we got a phone call from one of the members of our board : " Could we release the Vulture on Sunday , for there was an international congress for ecologists and the participants would be able to see the release as well ?" We thought it shouldn't be a problem , so we informed the TV about the change . Of course the weather changed that Saturday and on Sunday morning  it was really raining cats and dogs > a release should be irresponsible . Everything was postponed for the time being .

In the mean time we had contacted Mario Fournaris of the Aegean Wildlife Hospital  "ALKYON" on Paros , and he adviced to contact the well known Greek Biologist Martinos  Getlich . This man told us that " a release on Crete , òr near Dadià  òr in Rapsàni was the best solution ". Because of the fact that the well known DUTCH Ornithologist Ben Hallmann ( who started at the time the WWF-Project in Dadià ) now worked with (among others ) Vultures in a gorge near Rapsàni , we contacted him and after a talk we preferred to release over there. A big transport-crate ( 60 x 60 x 80 cm) was made and we contacted the airport-authorities to make transport to Thessaloniki possible .

Saturday , December 2nd  we went with the bird to the airport, where we caused  (of course ) a lot of sensation . Luckily we only had to pay the weight of the bird  ( 9,5 kilo) and not the weight of the crate ( 23,5 kilo) [apart from the ticket of the escort / companion of course ]. Our First-Aid-Station in Thessaloniki waited for us and over there the bird and its companion spent the night . That evening some cats were treated as well .

The next day up to  Rapsàni , where we arrived at about 14.00 p.m. With two other cars we went up to the mountain and over there it was pretty hard to strumble with that heavy crate over loose rocks to the edge of the gorge ! Balancing and slippering we reached a small plateau and there our Vulture saw the open air again . He didn't have a great mind to leave , although he had great interest in his fellow-birds who were flying freely in the gorge . Eventually we gave him a little push into free space . He flew very well  and after a while he landed on a ridge with shrubs .

The crate was brought back to the cars and meanwhile there arose some commotion by those  who stayed behind ; we didn't understand why . What was the case ? The Vulture liked human company more than the ridge and tried to land on the head of Ben Hallmann ! Ben tried to avoid that but then the bird threatened to spear himself on a dead pine-tree ! While Ben was desperately trying to keep the bird without injuries , we tried to prevent that Ben  should make a fall of about 400 meters ! ( We heard  later that it was that deep overthere ! At the time we didn't notice . ) And for us as well it was a lot of slitheriness >> a lot of Adrenaline-production !

We wished the Vulture all the best & started relieved our journey back . December 4th  we received an e-mail from Ben " that the bird was already a lot shyer , and that it probably had been an escaped one " . Ben was very anxious to know if " a certain degree of ` inprinting' would still be reversible "

That we had a lot of purple colour on the bird  (see the ring around its neck ) had a double reason : ànd the bird was easy to recognize by Ben ( for further observation ) ànd the bird is  not such a nice "hunting-object " anymore , because one can only remove the purple colour with a sander > NO VALUE to shoot and to stuff !
We really hope that  " our Vulture " can adapt in Greece ( because it is ultimately a Turkish Bird !)
 

WHO  DO  WE  WANT  TO  THANK ESPECIALLY  FOR  THE  YEAR  2000

In the first place of course all our supporters / members, who make it possible with their annual donation that we can continue. Please, don't let us down , for our expenses are really enormous !
Then (of course) the Greek Animal Welfare Fund (GAWF) and the Greek Animal Rescue (GAR) from England, who made itpossible with their donations to cover some big expenses and to provide the  stray animals in Mytilene with food and medicines .
The "Foundation for Animal-Help for Venezuela (S.D.V.) supported us not only with loads of material & medicines and with a fairly big financial injection, but as well in the second half of 2000 with a  complete computer-set with lots of possibilities . Now one can e-mail us as well: our e-mail-address is lwhjorin@otenet.gr For lots of you maybe easier than writing or phoning .
Therese McElwee & her friend Heather from the UK supported us economically and Litsa (who takes care of lots of strays in Mytilene) WITH A NICE QUANTITY OF USEFUL MEDICINES !
Two Vets from The Netherlands sent us several times some good materials for the surgery & medicines.
Mrs. Liza Prager from France, who lives half of the year in Molyvos, helped us a lot  by looking for all the French names of birds !
At last we want to thank two people in Switzerland : Paul Miotti & his friend Nicolas who did a lot to put us into several websites . They made them and Paul placed them on his expense. He as well will keep them up-to-date in the future.  He tried to give us lots of computer-advices, but till now on a lot of it is still a secret for us laymen.

We hope we didnt "forget" people to thank them for their support in the last year ; if so, we are very sorry about that. So, ...
EVERYONE THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH ! ! ! !
 
 

1.11.2000
This Newsletter 9 is not reflecting the problems that the hospital is currently facing. The situation has deteriorated.  Because of protests of neighbours, the Wildlife Hospital is urgently looking for a new home!

Newsletter 9, 01-07-2000

As one can see on the lower part of this page, there were in the last months very important developments in and around our Wildlife Hospital.

To start with: Mark. E. Vos, the founder of the Foundation  for Animalhelp for Venezuela visited us and had in his luggage kilogrammes of medicines and stitches, as well as a purse full of money AND a contract (we only had to sign) that his foundation (which especially changed their regulations in order to help us) had ADOPTED our Society and the ones we are supporting over here. Quote out of our guestbook: "You don't need to be crazy to love animals; you are crazy when you don't love them" Mark E. Vos This Foundation will support us in the future, because "Suffering of animals doesn't know borders (M. Vos). Does this mean that we don't need any more YOUR HELP & SUPPORT? NO, NO and again NO. With the support of this Foundation AND with your support we'll be able to talk about the purchase of a field just behind our present location,  so we'll  be able to build over there more up-to-date cages for rehabilitating animals/birds, for animals/birds that remained disabled; to build over there facilities for waterfowl (a pond) so there will be no need any more to send those birds elsewhere; to have a better opportunity to show visitors/excursions all what we are doing and by what we'll cause less annoyance to our neighbours. The
field is about 200 square meters. You'll understand that these developments caused a lot of relief, but on the other side as well lots of suspenses: WHAT is it going to cost: WHO is going to build all and WHAT are we going to build; WHO will be the care-taker and so on. Lots of problems to stay awake during the siesta and to keep your eyes open during the nights. But, it is all positive.

One of the conditions to accept the money (about 1400 English Pounds) was that we should spend the money WITHIN a week, and on behalf of the animals!
We were able to do so by spending a (big) part of the money for the strays of  Mytilene and Moria in food and medicines. The two women, who are taking care of those strays (Litsa and Tonia) were very glad with this unexpected present! (All together we came home with more than 300 kilogrammes of food in our old SEAT; driving very slowly and trying to get car and load safely upon the hill.) Later one had to see their faces: such a gift from totally unknown people. Till that
moment they paid (almost) ALL the expenses out of their own wallet. In the future, we'll continue to tackle this subject in the same way, because this
Foundation (and as well the Greek Animal Rescue) cannot support individuals, but can support a Society like ours. That's why we declared those two ladies (only on paper) "branches" of our Society, and WE administer and buy.

When nothing happens to the problem of the strays, it of course remains mopping with the tap open, and that's why (on a moderate scale) neuterings/spayings are been done already. It's our intention to extend this in future, with veterinarian help from abroad. We'll inform you extensive about these "secondary objects" of our Wildlife Hospital in our Annual Reports and Newsletters. In the past half year we were able to "export" 4 cats and 1 dog into the Netherlands, where they have found a new home. The "Foster-parents" we want to thank hereby for their dedication.

And now the main job of our Wildlife Hospital. In the first place we received twice from a Veterinary Group in the Netherlands lots of medicines and stitches. In the second place, due to a publication in the GAR-Newsletter, some women in England contacted us and offered help to Litsa: "We do not want Litsa to feel she is alone." (Therese and Heather) That resulted in a big gift (medicines) to Litsa and "her strays" and also some money for the Wildlife Hospital. The GAWF and the GAR supported our work with money, and of the last donation we supported Litsa and her strays on a 45-55 base (55% for Litsa).

Never again we'll make "season-greetings" with a quite unknown kind of animal/bird, like we did last year with the Little Bittern >> we found out!! Within two months we had an intake of FIVE!! (and lots of injuries in our faces!) A big disappointment was the fact that twice we received a baby-Eagle-Owl (with the plane from Thessaloniki, and before that hours with the bus from close to the Border with Albania/Skopje). Both birds didn't survive, and later (by the post-
mortem) we discovered it was due to a congenital heart/lung defect. And we entertained such hopes...
Lots of shot-down BIRDS OF PREY (at a certain moment we had more than thirty of those!!) we could release or were sent for further revalidation to the (enlarged) Aegean Wildlife Hospital "ALKYON" on Paros. Our cage/aviary III, which "housed" on a certain moment 9 Buzzards (and those were
eating: meat and money), is now in use for a vixen-cub, who came here at an age of about 10 - 12 weeks. We hope to release her in August on a safe (??) spot. Another success was the rearing by hand of a tiny baby Little Owl, discovered as a fluffy ball by a company-commander during a military excercise. A second success we had with a little bit bigger Little Owl, who came in with two lamed legs (poison?). Thanks to intensive physio-therapics the bird is trying to walk again. Two brown Barnowls (Tyto alba guttata) and one white Barnowl (Tyto alba alba) are being reared as well and they grow very fast.
And of course we have an overflow of nestlings: sparrows, swallows/martins, greenfinches and so on. It's almost a complete full-time job to rear all those by
hand (and that with variable success!!). Thrown-aways kittens reached us as well, and as far as we didn't (have to) put them asleep, they are frolicking in and between the other house-mates (dogs and cats) or they are "exported" already. Our Tortoise-cage (cage IV) is being changed in the meantime into an Aviary, so we can use this cage in wintertime for smaller birds of prey (when the tortoises are hibernating). The Tortoises themselves (disabled) were very busy laying eggs, so ...
 

Animals treated in the period 01-01-2000 to  31-06-2000:

Domestic animals/pets:

• ewe-lamb: 1
• dog: 23
• cat: 67
• rabbit: 2

Mammals (wild) :

• fox: 2

Reptiles/amphibians:

• Stripe-necked Terrapin: 1
• Spurrtighed Tortoise: 2

Insects:

• Eyed Hawkmoth: 2

Birds of Prey:

• Buzzard: 7
• Pallid Harrier: 1
• Barnowl: 8
• Little Owl: 7
• Sparrowhawk: 1
• Eagle Owl: 2

Other birds:

• Woodcock: 1
• Blackbird: 2
• Pigeons: 9
• Blackheaded Gull: 2
• Collared Dove: 8
• Chaffinch: 2
• Sparrow: 33
• Quail: 3
• Moorhen: 3
• Greenfinch: 2
• Bluefronted Amazone Parrot: 1
• African Grey Parrot: 1
• Chicken: 4
• Martin: 3
• Canary-bird: 2
• Yellowlegged Gull: 2
• Jay: 1
• Little Bittern: 5
• Mallard (chicken): 1
• Turtle Dove: 1
• Bittern: 1
• Hooded Crow: 2
• Middle Spotted Woodpecker: 1
• Swift: 6

TOTAL 223

Note: These pages are still under construction and we would warmly appreciate your questions, comments and criticism!
release date:  January 19, 2001
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