Haven Falconry in Havenstreet is making a desperate appeal for donations, without which they say they will be unable to reopen their business in March.
Owners Sam White and Charlotte Gladdis bought the business back in August 2020, shortly before the second lockdown. For various reasons, Haven Falconry was only able to open for 12 weeks during their first year.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit Haven Falconry hard and, unfortunately, the falconry has not been in receipt of any Government funding as it does not pay business rates.
The aviary has also been struck by Avian Flu over 2 successive winters. This has prevented the falconry from mounting bird displays, a large source of their income.
In 2021, Haven Falconry was devasted by a massive flood that carried away much of its equipment and wood supplies. It also suffered wind damage from Storm Eunice last week.
Last year, the local business made an appeal for donations via a GoFundMe page and managed to raise over £6,000. Unfortunately, due to an apparent glitch in the system, all the money was returned. Some people donated for a second time, but only to the tune of £600.
Haven Falconry, which is located at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, has been shut since December. The business had hoped to open for half term, but this weekend’s hurricane-force winds have prevented this from happening. A great deal of renovation is required to meet the strict requirements of zoo licences.
Co-owner Sam White said:
“We have had to deal with a lot of abandoned animals, possibly due to the pandemic. Some people have told us that if we don’t take them in, they’ll abandon them into the wild.
“The RSPCA is limited as to what they can take. They are unable to house 7-foot reptiles. They don’t have the means to deal with massive snakes.
“Last week we were left with 2 royal pythons. They are cold-blooded animals and probably not equipped to survive in the wild. If they made it through the winter, they’d probably be able to take red squirrels.
“We were donated a Taiwanese beauty snake, which came in a 4-foot enclosure. The snake is actually 7 feet in length, so it needed to be housed in a 10-foot area so it could stretch out. If it had been left in the wild, it would have been capable of devouring rabbits and hares.
“It’s still not certain that we shall have to close in March. We are doing whatever we can to ensure that this does not happen. We are still seeking to keep our business going and take care of all our animals.”
Co-owner Charlotte Gladdis said:
“We are down to 2 weeks money. After this, we won’t be able to pay staff and feed the animals.
“We need about £3,000 to see us through. It’s all very frustrating for a small business and not a nice situation to be in. However, I feel we need to be honest with the public.”
If anyone would like to help Haven Falconry and donate towards the maintenance fund, donations may be made via https://www.paypal.me/HelpHavenFalconry.
The falconry is limited by the dietary requirements of its animals as to what kinds of food it can accept. For example, it received a kind donation of a large quantity of oranges, which only forms part of the diet of 2 of its animals. However, its tortoises do eat large quantities of leafy vegetables.
Sad to hear this.Falconry is such a noble pursuit and Havenstreet falconry is a real centre of excellence but l just can’t fathom the mentality of anyone who considers large constrictors as anything remotely resembling a ‘pet’in the truest sense ? Almost a perversion imho.and as with rabbits kept in hutches, l for one would heartily celebrate outlawing this appalling practice which is essentially cruelty in the truest sense,especially given the creatures dietary preferences for live chicken consumption,born to be scoffed by a python isn’t an ideal situation.
Pythons are not natives to this country, surely it would be illegal to let them loose? If no one can keep them should be put to sleep.