GORNA

Presentation of the Association

Created in 1983, the Groupement Ornithologique du Refuge Nord Alsace (GORNA) is a local association, recognized as a Public Utility, which manages the operation of a wildlife care center.

Approved by the Prefecture for all species of European avifauna and small mammals, this center welcomes distressed wild animals with the aim of treating them and releasing them back into the wild. Its team of professional carers consists of 4 employees, three of whom hold the certificate of capacity, Civil Service volunteers, interns, and eco-volunteers. The center also operates in partnership with volunteer veterinarians who provide more intensive care.

Each year, nearly 2,000 animals from the North of Bas-Rhin, the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg, and the East of Lorraine are entrusted to the care center. For over 40 years, GORNA has been responding to an increasing demand from people confronted with the discovery of a distressed animal and concerned about respecting the animal and regulations for protected species. Open 7 days a week, the GORNA team takes turns to provide animal care and maintain the center. The telephone hotline and physical reception of people bringing in injured animals are also ensured daily.

Located in the Parc Naturel Régional des Vosges du Nord in Neuwiller-lès-Saverne (Bas-Rhin), the care center, equipped with high-quality facilities, is established on a 1.2 ha site at the Loosthal forest house. After treatment, more than 65% of the residents are reintegrated into the natural environment. Its action helps to partially compensate for the collapse of local wildlife population dynamics due to anthropogenic activities.

In addition to its primary mission of welcoming and caring for injured animals, GORNA also carries out other activities:
- Epidemiological and health surveillance of wild animals
- Public awareness-raising actions
- Design of protection and safety equipment for wildlife

As an approved training center, it also trains relay professions such as firefighters, gendarmes, forest rangers, volunteers from environmental protection associations, etc.

Project Description

Since its creation, our small local association has been facing a constant increase in the number of animals welcomed. This year, 2024, is no exception to the rule, as more than 200 additional animals have passed through the center's doors compared to last year... And the year is far from over.

This year, more than ever, our carers are operating at full capacity with the available restraint equipment. It should be noted that during the summer period, nearly 80% of the animals are welcomed in 4 months, with an average of twenty distressed animals per day. The boxes, cages, incubators, and heat lamps are therefore overused. They suffer damage, or even breakage due to this repeated use. Thus, most of the equipment we have is often at the end of its life (repaired several times) and/or obsolete (no longer suited to our needs and the species welcomed).

Moreover, our center is unfortunately equipped with only one professional incubator, purchased in 2020. This expensive machine is essential for the maintenance of very young distressed individuals, birds or mammals. In addition to maintaining stable humidity and constant heat, incubators protect young individuals from ambient aggressions (sound and visual). They create real cocoons, essential for the well-being of the little ones, who need a lot of rest. Of course, incubators, owned by many veterinary clinics or care centers, are useful for stabilizing adult or immature individuals who arrive in extreme hypothermia. Incubators allow the animal to be stabilized and are more effective than lamps or heating pads. Our wish would be to acquire three incubators from the Brinsea brand to improve our quality of care and increase our capacity to welcome the cases mentioned above.

In 2023/2024, the center equipped itself with a new 'mammals' unit, allowing for a more optimal welcome of medium-sized mammals, such as badgers, wildcats, and potentially the Eurasian lynx. These species present a high risk of danger to our carers and require specific equipment. Unfortunately, we lack adequate equipment for the capture of these species. Special gloves and a reinforced net are essential to allow carers to be well-equipped and ensure quick capture of each individual. We would therefore like to invest quickly in this equipment, which, if of good quality, can be used for several years without loss of efficiency.

To effectively respond to all requests and for better care of injured wild animals, we wish to renew a good part of this equipment for the year 2025. We need your help to achieve these investments and allow us to start the 2025 season more serenely.