The care center of the Marais aux Oiseaux was built in 1982, from the mind of Alain Formon. It is connected to the Union française des centres de sauvegarde de la faune sauvage (UFCS), that link around thirty centers. Their purpose is to heal and help, with no personal interest whatsoever, wild animals in distress, with the ultimate goal of setting them free. It is closed to the public in order not to disturb the recovering process of the animals that are healed, and also not to get them too used to human presence.
The care centers work in close collaboration with vetos. The later are the only ones allowed to do surgical interventions, but also to prescribe medication.
The departmental care center of le Marais aux Oiseaux answers to the very latest administrative norms, both sanitarian and environmental. Major renovation works of the premises (120m²) were done in 2011-2012, while all of the aviaries were entirely updated in 2018.
A specific building serves as nursery and as a quarantine place (for animals that are given the first cares). Another building, on the other hand, is dedicated to the storage and food preparation.
As far as the accomodation itself is concerned, the facility have 13 aviaries, meant for readaptation, and 2 aviaries for flight rehabilitation. They are 12 to 22 meters long. The total surface of the aviaries is 512 m². When it comes to small mammals, 25 cages are for them. Overall, 100 animals can be taken care of at the same time.
To cope with unusual situations, the center also contains 6 removable enclosures with heating lamps that enable to care of 75 birds that can be as big as a Common Guillemot.
Animals in distress are taken care of all year during. Species that can be handled : French avifauna and small mammals (Red Squirell and European Hedgehog).
Did you find a wild animal in distress? Click here.
Journey of a foster animal
In one case out of three, the persons who find the wild animal in distress directly give it to the departmental care center (at the entrance of le Marais aux Oiseaux).
In other cases, it is handled / taken care of, by one of the 7 relay points (including 4 veterinary clinicks) located throughout the department of Charente-Maritime.
Following the new laws of 2019, the Department of Charente-Maritime took over the logistics of the transport network for injured animals initiated in 1997 by the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO).
Since 2020, an animal carrier station has been created to transport animals to the rescue centre, it has a specific vehicle and runs all year from Monday to Friday.
All of our gratitude goes to the members and volunteers of the networks that keeps it alive. Not to forget, of course, the the firefighters, the gendarmerie and police services, the agents of de l’Office français de la biodiversité (OFB), as well as the Fédération des Chassuers (FDC 17). Thank you, everyone! (ou : Big thanks to all of you!)
Conclusion of the year 2023
This year, the departmental care center of took care of 2 546 animals pf 118 different species.
The European Hedgehog, the Wood Pigeon, the Turkish Dove, the House Sparrow and the Blackbird are the top 5 species and represent about half of all animals taken care of.
The worth-mentionning achievements of this year are the arrival of 446 Hedgehogs, which includes 116 non-weaned young ones, and a young European Polecat, a freshly protected species.
It must be kept in mind that over 1500 animals have been taken cared of in 2023 in the relay points and rapatriated on the care center by the driver who went through 57 718 kilometers, that is over a world tour.
It must be noted that this year, 52% of the animals handled in the care center have been set free.
Subsidized structure by the Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
