LPO Alsace

Description of the Association

As part of its mission to protect nature, the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO) Alsace operates a wildlife care center for distressed animals. This center, located in Rosenwiller (67560), has been welcoming distressed wild birds and mammals since 2010. It is managed by Suzel Hurstel, the center's manager and qualified caregiver, supported by three caregivers: Emilie Dusausoy, Laetitia Philippe, and Thibault Stenger.

The center is open 7 days a week, all year round, including weekends and public holidays. In the absence of caregivers, animals can be left in a secure cabin. An emergency phone number allows those who find the animals to notify the caregivers of the animal's arrival.

Four veterinary clinics assist the caregivers daily with severe injuries or unidentified illnesses. Additionally, a network of several motivated veterinarians also provides more occasional assistance. The majority of animal admissions occur between April and September: organizing the days optimally is crucial. This is the task of the 4 caregivers who take special care to coordinate an efficient network of volunteers, eco-volunteers, and interns.

Request for Support from Ecomail

Since its opening in 2010, the center has seen a continuous increase in its number of residents and must constantly adapt its practices and equipment to the evolving number and species under its care. Among these, European hedgehogs represent an increasingly significant percentage, requiring specific reception structures that the center needs to acquire.

In 2019, the LPO Alsace wildlife care center received 625 European hedgehogs. In 2020, this number rose to 689, with more than a hundred individuals still in care as of October 15, 2020, hence destined to hibernate on-site.

Facing massive arrivals, the caregivers had to urgently imagine structures suitable for each situation, ranging from specific equipment for newborns to hibernation boxes and release enclosures. To date, these structures are both not durable enough and insufficient.

The funds raised by Ecomail will be used to purchase items and materials adapted to hedgehog care: infrared lamps, wood and hardware for building new boxes with release latches, protective netting, linens, etc. They will also help finance the food, which has increased significantly, especially proteins (dairy products and kibbles), essential for the varied diet of the species.