We would like to thank the many supporters, near and far, of Screech Owl Sanctuary who have been generous with their support to date since we have had to close due to COVID 19. Your generosity has allowed us to ensure that the owls, other birds and animals continue to be looked after.

In this our 30th year of operation, and under new Custodians, the season has not started well. The weather since mid-February has seen lower than average visitors and the closure due to COVID 19 has brought its own complications. With no visitor income the staff have all been furloughed for three weeks now and the new owners have been managing the process of feeding and cleaning and looking after new arrivals to the hospital single handed.

As the weeks of shutdown have continued is has become apparent that in order to survive, and for the owls in particular to thrive, more specialist support is required. We are therefore launching this appeal primarily to enable us to take off furlough one (or more) of our falconers. This will enable the owls to get back to flying, the hospital admissions to be supported, and provide an extra pair(s) of hands to be available on site to deal with those out of the ordinary situations that arise.

About Screech Owl Sanctuary and Animal Park:

Founded 30 years ago by Tom & Carolyn Screech the Sanctuary has slowly grown to the point where it now provides a forever home to a wide portfolio of owls and animals (including: - over 80 owls, a buzzard, a hawk, 2 emus, several geese & ducks, 19 meerkats, 3 raccoons, 2 ponies, 2 donkeys, 2 goats and 3 alpacas). The site also boasts a specialist owl hospital which admits injured owls brought in by members of the public or referred from local vets. Wild owls are treated, cared for, rehabilitated and ultimately released back into the wild where they belong. Presently there are three patients in the hospital, including a 3-week old chick, all needing specialist care.

The Hopkins Family acquired the Sanctuary at the end of 2019 and are keen to improve the quality of the facilities for both the residents and visitors. With a total loss of visitor income, development plans have been temporarily put on hold while the immediate focus is simply on survival.

To keep the Sanctuary operating safely and effectively, manage the health and well-being of all the birds and animals requires more effort than we can provide ourselves. We estimate we need around £10,000 to get through the next few months.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us thus far.