Support WVI with their Raptor Rehabilitation Programme

9 November 2017

The continued existence of vultures and many species of birds of prey hangs in the balance in India, South Africa and Bulgaria.

Animal charity, Wildlife Vets International (WVI), are calling on veterinary professionals to kindly donate to their Raptor Rehabilitation Programme via The Big Give Christmas Challenge. This initiative is the UK’s biggest online match funding campaign, which goes live on Tuesday 28th November.  If WVI raises at least £3,000 by 5th December, they will have the opportunity to have donations doubled through match funding from donors, including Virbac UK, Vetronic Services Ltd, Kirkleatham Owl Centre and The Reed Foundation.

Why is the WVI Raptor Rehabilitation programme so important?

Vultures and other birds of prey are persecuted throughout the world, either through hunting and the poisoning of carcasses, or indirectly through injuries caused by kite strings or wind turbines and the use of drugs in livestock which are poisonous to them.  Numbers of some species of vultures are in steep and rapid decline.

The Raptor Rehabilitation Programme aims to ensure that as many injured birds as possible survive and are successfully reintroduced to the wild.  Vet teams (including Tom Dutton, Neil Forbes and other UK vets) are already working in India to increase the survival rate of injured birds and to increase their fitness for release. To ensure that conservation activity progresses to Bulgaria and South Africa, two countries in which these birds are also under severe threat, the charity needs to raise £18,000.
How you can help

You can help WVI reach the initial £3,000 target and have all donations doubled, by helping in the following ways:

•    Use the hashtag – #vets4vultures – and online promotion pack, packed with fun and informative information on vultures, on your website and social media platforms.
•    Please like and share WVI’s social media posts on Facebook and Twitter to help them reach more potential donors.
•    Please consider fundraising or donating during the week of the Big Give (28th November – 5th December).

If you would like any further information, please contact Olivia Walter, Executive Director, of WVI at o.walter@wildlifevetsinternational.org. 

Images courtesy of Neil Forbes.