By and large, over 18 000 animals in distress (being birds 9 times out of 10) – from over 210 species – have been recorded in the center’s entry records since its inception (1,687 in 2020). Five species alone account for one third of the total number of visits: the European Hedgehog (1,423), the Turkish Dove (1,188), the Barn Owl (1,167), and the Black Swift (1,024) and the Kestrel Falcon (986).
On the whole, four causes of reception stand out from the others :
–The discovery of non-flying young birds (one case out of four). These mainly are diurnals and noctural birds of prey, as well as the Black Swift.
–General state of weakness (one in four), the reason for which is often unknown due to lack of systematic analyses or autopsies. Among the most affected species are the European hedgehog and seabirds living on the high seas such as the Troïl’s guillemot and the Bassan’s madtom ;
–Impacts against an obstacle (one in five) such as a rope or a porch. The most numerous are diurnal birds of prey, pigeons and turtledoves, seagulls and gulls.
–The road traffic (one in ten). Here, just like anywhere else, noctural birds of prey pay a high price in blood, mostly the Barn Owl.
It should be noted that there has been a significant change in the number of species received in recent years. Notably, a strong increase in the number of young passerines and especially European hedgehogs: more than 100 per year from 2016 (193 in 2018, 335 in 2019 and 395 in 2020), compared to less than 20 per year prior to 2013. This species alone represents 23.4% of the arrivals in 2020 !
Several weeks of care and rehabilitation are sometimes necessary for an animal to be released/freed: for example in the case of a broken wing or leg. More than half of the animals taken care of by the Centre since its creation – dead at reception excluded – have been released. In 2020, the percentage of animals released into the wild was lower (42.9%), due to an unusual mortality of European hedgehogs, The European Union’s Social Partners have been active in the field of education and training.
Despite the care provided, animals sometimes remain disabled because they have, for instance, a poorly consolidated fracture. If they can live decently, they are then transferred to the discovery park in the company of congeners.
