When the guests at this Leeside establishment get up for breakfast, they're looking forward to a hearty meal of mealworms, raw fish and chickens with the feathers still on. Don't worry - it's not the latest AirBnB trend. This is just part of the work done by Wildlife Rescue Cork , which takes in injured and orphaned animals from across the Rebel County and nurses them back to health.
Just this month the charity team have taken in rabbits, woodpigeons and a beautiful kingfisher - and they currently have 30 house martins in their care. It's a big workload for the staff of volunteers who work day-and-night to protect Cork's precious wildlife. Last year, the team took in nearly 500 animals - and dealt with that double that number in calls and visits.
And when it comes to feeding barn owls, buzzards and bats, you can't just grab a handful of bugs from under a rock - their dietary needs are delicate and precise. It means the cost of caring for all these animals quickly adds up - and the Rebel public is urged to donate to keep the amazing work going. Read more: Cork Swim club has 'flat pack' 50m pool in storage on Leeside and ready for fast build Read more: Cork Weather: Met Eireann says fair for Electric Picnic weekend as Red Storm Alerts hit Spain The rescue team take in most of their animals following calls from the public.
In May, founder Julie Cronin went out on a call to Midleton to rescue a swan that had got itself trapped in a millrace. After borrowing a ladder - and "a bit of a run around" - Julie was able to scoop up the swan and take it back to the centre, where it was looked after while it recovered from its ordeal. Wildlife Rescue Cork is equipped with facilities for all types of animals, with pens for mammals like foxes and hedgehogs and aviary spaces for birds.
Once the creatures have been nursed back to health, they can be re-released into the wild for a second chance. Last month, Cork's own bird expert Seán Ronayne paid a visit to release a heron chick that he had found in the middle of the road. Wildlife Rescue Cork built up the chick's strength and Seán was able to send it back into its natural habitat: Seán - who is releasing a memoir in October - has been on a mission to record every single birdsong in Ireland - and the team at Wildlife Rescue Cork took the opportunity to "bully him into listening to some bird calls we wanted identified!" Wildlife Rescue Cork in 2017 was founded by UCC graduate Julie Cronin - who has also worked at Fota Wildlife Park and the ISPCA Equine Centre in Mallow.
The centre isn't open to the public, since its focus is on care and release - but on Sunday, August 18 the team is inviting registered vets to visit the Wildlife Rescue base in Whitechurch and get some free hands-on training with wildlife. Any vets interested are asked to email [email protected].
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