Visit to Skipton Library from the
Corio Raptor Care and Rehabilitation Centre

27th August 2002

This event is one of a series of chidren's events organised by Skipton Library

Nick Henderson, one of the bird handlers at the centre, enthralled both children and adults alike at Skiptons' main library. Corio is a small, highly specialised centre that is involved in the care and rehabilitation of birds of prey, or raptors.
They operate extensively with organisations, such as the RSPCA, local vets, the police, and members of the public.

The Corio Raptor Centre is a private concern, and not a visitor attraction.

Grateful thanks to Nick and the centre for permission to quote the following from their handout...

Each year, many young orphaned birds, unable to fend for themselves, arrive at the centre; we provide a safe controlled environment that will enable them to continue their development without the possibility of these birds becoming socially imprinted. With this careful attention, our success rate in returning orphaned raptors to their natural habitat is very high. We also have facilities for birds with serious injuries, which having received veterinary treatment, are placed in our intensive care units. These units are designed and built to help promote a swift and successful recovery. Each unit is thermostatically heated and illuminated with a low energy light. Once the patient has recovered sufficiently, it is transferred to an indoor covered flight. Progress can be slow but eventually the bird will be moved to one of our seclusion aviaries on the final stage of its release. These aviaries are designed and constructed so the occupant has no contact with humans. Feeding takes place through hatchways and eventually the bird is released.

Unfortunately, there are birds that have been mistreated either physically or mentally, these individuals normally spend the rest of their lives with us as they are so psychologically damaged. They are unable to survive in their natural habitat. We do however gain satisfaction as they soon begin to respond to our care and attention, quickly settling into their new surroundings where they can be assured of comfort and quality of life. These birds are our long stay patients and can never be returned back to the wild.

Thankfully, the majorities do return back to the wild, but it is a sad fact that specialised centres have to exist at all to care for and rehabilitate Birds of Prey. The centre visits schools, organisations and other interested parties to talk about native birds and habitats.

For further information, contact 015242 63482
Or visit our website at: www.raptor.org.uk
You can also contact us by email on:  corio@totalise.co.uk 

Due to the nature of our work, we regret the centre is not open to visitors

RAPTOR REHABILITATION

In this day and age, more people are becoming involved in the rescue, treatment and rehabilitation of wild birds of prey. Why? The relaxing of legislation as to who can actually take in and care for injured or sick birds of prey is one reason. There is no doubt that man has always felt compassion for sick or wounded animals and our general awareness of threats to the environment and its inhabitant has increased.

However, many casualties are due to mans intervention, road traffic accidents, poisoning of individuals, illegal activities and damage to the environment.

With further development of veterinary care making an effective impact and proving to be successful, injuries to birds can be more readily treated, but to what extent and how far do we go.

THE ARGUMENTS FOR REHABILITATION ARE STRONG

We, as rehabilitators, should always be wary of interfering in the process of natural selection. Nature’s way of ensuring those individuals who adapt to survive in their own environment, do survive.

• What is and is not a justifiable level of intervention?
• How should we as rehabilitators decide which bird should be treated or which considered for euthanasia?

These are some of the many questions that each of us has to answer when dealing with the treatment and care of birds of prey.  There can only be one possible answer: -

• The welfare of each individual bird must be the prime consideration.

If after treatment the individual still has an unacceptable quality of life then it should, without further delay, be humanely destroyed.
Those individuals that are considered likely to be successful candidates for rehabilitation must be healthy, fully fit and able to sustain themselves on release into its natural environment, and be a benefit to its species.

THE CARE AND REHABILITATION OF ANY WILD SPECIES HAS, AND ALWAYS WILL BE, A VERY DIFFICULT AND THOUGHT PROVOKING SUBJECT.

Thanks to CragFace for contributing this page.

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