A couple of months back, our Marketing Manager Jade (pictured above) found an injured pigeon in her garden. After researching for somewhere to take the pigeon, Jade discovered the Nuneaton & Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary which was set up by Geoff Grewcock (above, middle) back in 2001.
In February that year, a healthy swan was put to sleep as a result of there being nowhere for it to rest or receive care. Geoff decided to use his savings to set up the sanctuary and make sure that such an occurrence wouldn’t happen again.
The sanctuary is highly dependent on donations and volunteers and there are a number of ways for people to help. After arranging a time to visit, we purchased a number of items from the sanctuary’s Amazon Wishlist. This ever evolving list is an example of the volume and variety of items which the sanctuary requires and it’s only a very small selection!
On the day of our visit a female fox cub (seen in the first two photos) was brought in to add to the dogs, pigeons, snakes, lizards, turtles, owls, deer and many others which are already at the sanctuary. Everyone was working non-stop with the sanctuary currently home to 137 animals. What really put things into perspective though, was when Geoff told us that they have previously housed around 350 animals at once - quite astonishing when you consider the attention they need: daily (or more) feeding, regular cage cleaning, and medical care.
In order to look after and speak about the animals, Geoff has had to research them and expand his knowledge over the years. This started with numerous nights spent in libraries and searching the internet, activities which are still a regular occurrence today.
In addition to looking after the many animals and the premises themselves, there is also the need to continue to raise money to keep the sanctuary open. Geoff and the team attend schools, shows and as many other events as they possibly can. Animals from the sanctuary have made numerous TV appearances and Geoff also holds talks for around 7,500 people per year.
Such is Geoff’s knowledge of rare wildlife that the sanctuary helps to train on average 70 veterinary students per year as well as fully qualified vets and nurses who visit to learn more about certain animals. This is all done with no financial incentive; Geoff recognises the importance of sharing his knowledge so does all he can to help those who will in turn help animals.
Local vets do offer assistance to the sanctuary when they can but Geoff also holds a euthanasia license as he often responds to calls where animals have been injured or abandoned. Unfortunately there are instances where nothing can be done for the animal but the team at the sanctuary do everything in their power to avoid an animal having to be put down.
Buster & Toby are a prime example of just that. It’s not pleasant to hear that the two dogs were found tied to railway lines but fortunately they were rescued and now enjoy roaming the sanctuary along with two other dogs, Tammy and Misty Moo, who do their very best to ‘help’.
One thing that really stands out at the sanctuary is the sense of family. Geoff and the volunteers have a fantastic relationship and it’s clear that they care about every single animal, including the tarantula and scorpion! It’s extremely heartwarming and slightly surreal to see dogs playing with foxes and roaming around with Bramble the deer, a couple of ducks, a turkey, and a goose.
We were also pleased to find out that the injured pigeon which Jade found and brought to the sanctuary was nursed back to full health and released back into the wild once again.
The sanctuary takes in more than 30 animals a week, however certain seasons can mean this number will double, or more. On average it costs £360 per week just to keep the sanctuary running, with a further £120 per week for food and animal bedding. This number can increase significantly and that’s before Geoff is able to put any money away for his future plans of larger premises and newer enclosures.Donations and support are of course always welcome and the sanctuary has a number of ways for people to help:
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A cheque made payable to ‘Nuneaton and Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary’
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In person at the Nuneaton & Warwickshire Wildlife Sanctuary, 78 Oaston Road, Nuneaton, Warwickshire, CV11 6LA
Our visit to the sanctuary was a real eye opener to the work which Geoff and the volunteers put in. To give an idea, there are enough tasks to keep the team working around the clock on a daily basis.
You can find out more about the sanctuary at www.nuneatonwildlife.co.uk and we’ll have more blog posts coming soon from out future visits where we’ll be getting our hands dirty and learning a bit more about each animal.