The Jinačovice sanctuary at the Brno Zoo has been caring for injured and orphaned animals for 10 years. More than 1,000 animals pass through the facility every year, and the number is increasing every year. During its existence, it has received more than 10,000 cases. Most are successfully rescued and released back into the wild.
People usually bring animals during the breeding season, from the end of April to around October. The most common are hedgehogs, bats, squirrels, ducks, kestrels and songbirds. However, the sanctuary staff have also taken in rare species such as river otters, hawks, field cicadas and river kingfishers, and exotic animals such as agamas, Jacob’s macaws, Senegal parrots and escaped guanaco llamas.
“These are orphaned cubs, animals caught in nets and wires, stuck in unsecured pits, injured by garden tools, or after a collision with an obstacle or vehicle,” said Radek Ficek, head of the rescue centre. “The animals are treated by a veterinarian and released back into the wild once they have recovered.” About two thirds of the cases can be saved in this way. If recovery is not possible, the vet will decide on humane euthanasia.
Staff say the correct procedure is important when finding an injured or abandoned animal. It is always best to call the sanctuary first and discuss the situation. The experts will decide whether to come and collect the animal or whether it should be brought to the centre by the finder. Contact is key, especially when finding an abandoned animal. “Parents of some species abandon their young and usually leave them alone. It can happen that an uninformed finder, to save the young, unknowingly separates it from the family,” added Ficek.
The rescue station in Jinačovice at Brno Zoo is open from April – October 7:15 – 17:45, and November – March 7:15 – 15:30. Outside working hours, animals can be handed over to the zoo’s service gatehouse, which is open 24 hours a day.
A vehicle with trapping equipment is available at the station. There are areas for animal care with quarantine, intensive care rooms, a nursing room, a feed preparation room and an ecological education room. Outside, 15 aviaries and enclosures are used for after-care. A new aviary was opened at the end of last year with the help of donations from the public.
The rescue station resumed its activities on 2 February 2015 after a break of several years caused by the need to comply with legal regulations and to separate exotic animals from native animals. The workplace of the Brno University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Jinačovice was repaired and equipped for this purpose. The sanctuary was approved by the Ministry of the Environment at the beginning of 2015.
