Rajhrad Wildlife Rescue Station Celebrates 25 Years of Service

The Rescue Station for Birds of Prey in Rajhrad, operating since 1999, has marked 25 years of assisting wild animals across southern Moravia. Its hotline receives 20 to 50 calls each day, with a record of 87 calls in a single day, handling cases from owl nestlings to injured deer. In the past year the station rescued nearly 800 animals, ranging from hedgehogs and bats to storks and squirrels, and aims to rehabilitate and release them back into the wild.

Station director Jaroslav Sedláček explains that many calls involve determining whether intervention is necessary, and the team adapts its routine during heat waves, adding a midday water change. Notable residents include a three‑legged deer, Ferdinand Druhý, who was rescued as a fawn with a broken hind leg and now roams the grounds on three legs.