L'Hirondelle

The Association

The Hirondelle Association is a wildlife care center located in Saint-Forgeux in the Rhône department (69) in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The center has been operational since 1998 and each year welcomes an increasing number of animals needing care, with a focus on large mammals (deer, stags, chamois). In 2021, more than 6,800 animals were received, representing a 104% increase in animals cared for compared to the previous year.

The Project

The care center is running out of space and wishes to carry out various expansions to increase its capacity to accommodate more residents:
- New aviaries for birds: young ducklings and swans, adult and young diurnal and nocturnal raptors, small and large passerines, waterfowl and pigeon aviaries,
- Boxes for small and medium-sized mammals: 6 new 12m2 boxes are planned, each able to accommodate squirrels, hedgehogs, martens, polecats, weasels, rabbits, hares, etc.,
- Large boxes for large mammals: often injured, these mammals need a period of "nursing"; thus, to avoid human imprinting on these animals, special boxes are designed for constant monitoring through surveillance cameras, as well as to minimize interventions to reduce or avoid stress,
- Equipment for food storage: additional cold rooms will be necessary to store food for all residents,
- A mediation and first aid hub: to welcome those who find and animals in distress, a dedicated room will be set up especially to provide necessary first aid and a part for educating the public about the role of care centers.

The total cost of all the expansions is estimated at €230,000. To reach this goal, the donation from Ecomail will help supplement the missing financial resources for the Hirondelle care center.