January 2005

Total amount of visitors this month:  07                       (total this year: 007)

GENERAL NEWS:

January 1^st :  busy with the Monthly Report December ’04 and with the Annual Report 2004. As well with the reorganization of the Food-Kitchen.

January 2^nd:  with great trouble (and lots of pain !) we could place a immense piece of chipboard (140 x 80 cm; 16 mm thick) above our heads in the Food-Kitchen.

January 3^rd:  the alteration in the Food-Kitchen is almost finished; including the changing of electricity (cables & lamps). The Monthly Reports December 2004 & the Annual Report 2004 are ready for mailing (e-mail & Post)

January 4^th:  the alteration in the Food-Kitchen is ready for 95% > only a cup-board-door and the finishing touches. We received the following e-mail from a Dutch organization (we are co-operating with for the placement of volunteers): At this moment, at the “Turtle-project” in Thailand,  we must mourn for 5 deceased people; two project-assistants from England & the U.S.A., plus three local people, who were indirect involved as employees by the owner of the accommodation.

An hour ago  I spoke with a project-leader of another project in Thailand. He was “called” with his pick-up-truck to help in the south, and I spoke to him on his mobile-phone, while he just was “loading” his pick-up with lots of dead bodies. At such a moment you’re feeling yourself small, to trouble somebody during such a work about your own inanities. But he appreciated my phone-call; he had for some moments the excuse to leave this unpleasant work and to give vent to his feelings. And how sad it all is, luckily no acquaintances ; only colleagues, who were just as passionate as we still are. May they rest in peace.

January 5^th: the alteration of the Food-Kitchen is done (including little door and light that starts burning when the door opens). Now only plastering and whitewashing, but that can wait a little longer.

January 6^th:  almost ready with the plastering in the Food-Kitchen. We had some difficult pieces of rafters that had to be removed.

January 7^th:  we finished the removing of old nails & screws ( and planed as well) the old beams, once in use as the “temporary-aviaries” in the Wildpark. Parts were already used in the alteration of the Food-Kitchen, and the rest will partly be used in the roof of the Sick-Bay. The Turkey (04-259; December 21^st ’04) went completely cured back to her owner. We had to “open” the poor soul 10 times and flush the sinus-holes before it started to improve.

January 8^th:  the African Grey Parrot (04-262; December 31^st ’04) went back (completely healthy) to its owner. Due to cold (very, very cold) weather, there was no labour outside, but in the Sick-bay > alteration & improving of the roof/sealing.

January 9^th:  the roof/sealing of the Sick-bay is half-way (construction). It will make a great difference when the whole Sick-bay is mice- & ratproof. All Annual Reports (NL-GB-GR) are printed and folded. The envelopes are printed and filled. This for all those who don’t have an e-mail-account.

January 10^th:  the construction of the roof/sealing of the Sick-bay is finished. We even started with plastering, only the working-positions are to be mentioned as “almost impossible”.

January 11^th:  because “mice- & ratproof” as well means that the ventilation will diminish, a ventilation-system is placed today. As well some plastering is done.

January 12^th:  we started the day with plastering. Because of the nice weather we stopped with this kind of work and started with brick-laying (cage-enrichment) in the Aviary for the Falcons > the basement of a little tower is laid.  In the aviary on top of our bathroom we placed a huge roost for several larger birds.

January 13^th: we did a lot with the cage-enrichment.

Herewith we could hide from view for those who sleep in the house-next-door, the ugly “water-deposito”. As well we created a windproof place & two rainproof feeding-places. The used bricks once belonged to the (demolished in 2001) old bread-oven (where now is the Surgery). Today we could hear for the first time since September 2000 (date of intake) the sound of “our” Eagle Owl.

January 14^th:  we used the (for the time being last day with) good weather brick-laying in the Falcon-aviary.

January 15^th:  in spite of temperatures just above zero and a sullen ditto  rain, we were able to continue in the Falcon-aviary. The roof is “waterproof”. Now only the wall till the roof of the Aviary and a rush-mat on the left side of the tower.

January 16^th & 17^th:  due to ice-cold weather & ditto rain we weren’t able to work outside.

January 18^th:  in spite of the cold wind, we showed our “braveness”  and were able to lay two layers of bricks. As well we could plaster a part of the back-side.

January 19^th: we are till the roof and an extra roost for the Hobby is placed as well.

January 20^th: remaining part on the right side is closed. The plastering of the outside is going steady. The first thing to do now is the rush-mat. In the evening we had to go to Mytiléne to pick-up some baby-Squirrels, where she (in first place) would take care of by herself. That we didn’t trust her with that, proves how well the knowledge and care by this Vet is (see by PERSIAN SQUIRREL).

January 21^st: the Falcon-aviary has its rush-mat and the back-sides are plastered as well.

Now a (temporary) door and a roof-part against the rain, and the inhabitants can come.

January 22^nd:  because of the rain we could hardly do anything outside.

January 23^rd: we couldn’t do anything (construction-labour) because a very essential electric tool had broke down, so we made life for rats & mice in the loft of the Zoökomio more difficult by doing some brick-laying. In the evening we received an e-mail from Ontario (Canada) , in which they asked us for advices for the further treatment of an injured Morning Dove !! So advices were given.

January 24^th:   at the morning-feeding round we discovered in Aviary IX (where the Buzzards are lodged now) the “roost-tree” partly fallen (due to rotting). So it’s going to be time to send most of the birds to Páros or to release them. Still more than a month till the end of hunting-season.

We picked-up three wooden doors from the Wildpark to make out of them the (temporary) doors for the new aviaries over here. As well 2 undulated metal roofing’s for those aviaries.

January 25^th: in the meantime we received an answer from Ontario > they were very glad with our advices !

In the “Falcon-Aviary” the temporary door is ready > only now the shutting.

The Rock-Dove (04-243; November ’04) with the bill-deformation was brought in the afternoon to the Pigeon-Aviary in “The Keep” > or he will survive over there, or not, and if not, we won’t do anything anymore.

†

First we had to cope with the following:

The little kitten “BATA” (04-231B; October 2004. One of the 3 kittens of the “Battery-acid-cat OXY” we had to put down > some days after her second vaccination (the beginning of January 2005) she developed “strange eyes” and her sight diminished as well. She was hardly eating anymore, the gums started to yellowish and the mucous membranes of the eyes did the same. We tried everything, but when she started to cry from pain, we gave her into other Hands. We hope a better life is waiting for her in store.

After this painful decision our eldest bitch KÍMA (born May 5^th 1989, and together with her sisters  SKÀLA and LOUKÌA the first animals we rescued on Lesvos ) worsened progressively (she was already almost 100% blind for a year, and ditto deaf, and hardly left her basket anymore. Now she was complete disorientated and was howling from pain and distress) and we had to decide to put her down as well !!

She was the perfect foster-mother for orphaned kittens, and even after her passing away they joined her (still warm) body.

We gave her a last resting-place under the rocks where we buried her nephew “FÓSSKO” as well (they always were perfect comrades) with the kitten “BATA” in between her front legs; in the field where, in the past, we always went for a walk with our doggies.

Thanks Kíma for what you mend for us (and for other animals). We’ll miss you.

January 26^th:  because the wind was so strong (the Rook was blown several times from his roost) we continued with the roof/sealing of Food-kitchen and Sick-Bay.

January 27^th:  “thanks to” the still (too) hard wind, we were able to continue with the roof/sealing of the Sick-bay and the room for the Nocturnals/Intensive Care. We’re now so far we can start whitewashing.

January 28^th:  we started the working-day with whitewashing > the Food kitchen has its first coating. The 2^nd (temporary) door of the new Aviaries is hanging and both doors can be locked with a Security Lock.

At the “Evening-Feeding-Round” we discovered that the storm of yesterday was responsible for the “flattening” of three trees: one (already dead) at the end of the “Aviary-street” and two on the verge of the hill. By all trees it was lucky that both the wind was coming out of the (for us) “good direction” and that the last aviaries of the “Aviary-street” were already demolished > otherwise the aviaries should have had damage and we should have had problems.

January 29^th:  the Pigeon with the inborn leg-defect (04-167; July ’04) which came-in as a baby, is transferred to the Pigeon-Aviary in “The Keep”.  By the two new aviaries the one on top of our bathroom had got a protection against the rain > alone (because the rest of the “crew” was in Mytiléne for shopping) an  undulated metal roofing (3 meter, shortened till 2.65 meter, by 0,85 meter placed above the head and fastened. Was “somewhat problematic” (and that’s an understatement !!) At 11.00 o’clock we have brought all members of the Crow-family from Aviary VII in the Wildpark to this aviary. The roof of the Falcon-Aviary has its undulated metal roofing as well (must only be fastened better), so we brought the Kestrel & the Hobby at 13.00 from the Wildpark to their new home. In the Wildpark we still have only 6 Buzzards.

After some heavy rain in the afternoon we noticed that we have to remove the both undulated metal roofing’s again > some old screw-holes are leaking on lousy spots and those must be closed.

January 30^th:  busy with the leaflets for tourists & reps > should be re-written due to the changed situations. The Pigeon (see yesterday) we had to take back > wasn’t accepted.

January 31^st:  till ice-cold rain made it impossible, worked on demolishing the Aviaries VI and VII in the Wildpark.

Kinds of animals who are mentioned like this were for the first time in treatment in the L.W.H.

Amount of kilometers (Animal-Ambulance) for bringing-in/releasing animals this month 146 (total this year 146 kilometers)

Total amount of intakes this month: 12 [wild ones: 7; others 05], (total this year 012 > : wild ones 007, others 005; total since the start of registration in 1996: 2967),  of which:

HOODED CROW (Corvus corone sharpii): 1 adult from the Wildpark (disabled) > had due to hard winds “pinned himself” with one wing on a sharp branch > released. Had injured the limb of the other wing as well. Injuries treated with Negerol-spray and taken-in temporarily.  January 22^nd back to Wildpark.

BITCH (Canis familiaris): 2; the first from Mólivos > First Aid after bite-injury (??) in the groin. As well delay of the heat till neutering (has still puppies). Because the dog is seriously mal-treated in 2004 with Battery-Acid we decided to do a skin-correction in the future in two sessions on the back (from the neck till the tail > that’s why we’ll need 2 sessions) to make re-homing in Holland more easy. The second was our own KÍMA (see January 25^th )

PERSIAN SQUIRREL (Sciorus anomalus): 4 just-born babies (2-2; born yesterday, January 19^th ) > delivered by a Vet in Mytiléne> to keep them “warm” they placed them over there on surgery-gloves, filled with hot water !! When we arrived, they were already “boiled”.

(when the Greeks are taking care of their children with as much “understanding”, we wonder why there are still so many Greeks !!)

CAT (Felis catus): 2; both from Agia Paraskeví > for “de-mothering”.    The first was the Battery-Acid-Cat OXY [ 04-231; October 2004]  . The necessary skin-correction should wait a little bit now. The second was SHANTI (04-184; August ’04) for the same surgery. What looked like an immense udder, turned out to be an even more immense “hernia” with lots of intestines in it !! So the surgery was more difficult than was planned !!

YELLOW-LEGGED GULL (Larus cachinnans miachael.): 1 (almost) adult from  Néès Kidoniès > probably eaten something “wrong” > so injected Atropine & Apomorfine > wait and see.  Was the morning after intake still alive; very active and ditto biting. Another day of observation > if OK > release. Was released January 25^th in the early morning-hours in a perfect condition in the Alikès (= Salines) . Left the transport-bench flying well just after we opened it !!

KITTEN (Felis catus): 1 from Ágia Paraskeví > our own BATA  (see January 25^th )

QUAIL (Coturnix coturnix): 1 hen from/via Mória > discovered already months ago. Is injured on the head due to being kept in a too small cage > is trying to fly again and again. After half a day transferred to the aviary, were she was “raped at the spot” by the cock.