Born Free Foundation - Keep Wildlife in the Wild

I must admit, I had been a little apprehensive about the workshop.  By the very nature of the work the sanctuaries do, they need to be managed by strong-willed people who have to deal with the authorities, staff problems, finances, fundraising, suppliers etc before they even start with the animals; a 24-hour day is usually not long enough! And more often than not, when an animal arrives at a sanctuary, it’s got problems, either physical or mental. To deal with this the sanctuary team need expertise, determination and patience – and when they ‘invest’ in an animal in such a way, they usually also develop a strong bond with the individual.

So, getting our teams together round a table to talk about the problems and challenges they face and the best way to do things, from building an enclosure to running an education programme, could have been challenging. But no, the workshop went extremely well and after two-and-a-half days, we developed the necessary Working Groups to help lay down what we hope will be the path to best practice in all areas. While animal care is paramount, the other groups, from education through to accounting, all play a vital part. It will be a balancing act, stretching resources to help as many animals as possible, but without selling anyone short; allowing visitors to view the rescued animals to educate them about the threats faced by wildlife, but without depriving them of their often much needed privacy and freedom to choose where they spend their days – out of or in view!