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Association CHENE
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A member of the UFCS (Union Française des Centres de Backup), our Backup Center's mission is to accommodate any wild animal in danger and organize rescue operations in the best conditions, taking into account its physiological needs in view of the release into the wild. Our Centre is one of the rare centres in France to accommodate all the species of wild animals, the sparrow up to the seal.

Our Backup Center is recognized as a center of competence regarding the care of wild animals. During the major waves of black tide, the OAK has created its own "machine démazouter the birds," which has helped to put forward the know-how of our teams. In order to contribute every day to the advancement of knowledge in the field of wildlife, our team works closely with the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Muséum National d'histoire Naturelle of Paris, the National Agency of Health Security, the SNECM (study and manufacture of engines for aeroplanes), or the University of Lausanne. The association CHENE is since nearly 40 years to protect and save the wildlife. Thanks to his Centre and his team completed on a daily basis by many volunteers and trainees, 40 of 104 animals that have been admitted since its creation (end of 2017). The number of animals housed per year is, itself, in constant evolution (1874 animals in 2017 against 1062 animals in 1998, or 154 animals in 1981).

Why support us ?
The wild animals are res nullius (they do not belong to anyone), the hospitality and the support are free of charge. However, each of our residents represents a cost for the concrete association that this is his stay in our Centre (cleaning, feeding...), his medication (anti-inflammatory drugs, ointments...), the costs incurred by their pathologies (surgeries, sutures, etc.) or the costs of the overall running of the association (adapted structures, team, salary...).

Budget
It is complex to define a specific budget for the reception of the wild animals, as we understand in this budget : the hourly rate of our healers, medication purchased, the cost of facilities, the purchase of food (in addition to that provided by our partners)... A concrete example : the home of a gull the cost, on average, 70€ per person.

The seals are our specialty
The association CHENE is today considered a specialist in the field of care for the seals. We welcome, every year, several individuals of seal calves-marine phoca vitulina and grey seals halichoerus grypus, which are identified by a loop to find the animal in the natural environment. Once the care is completed, we offer releases where the godfathers and godmothers are invited to share with us this happy event. Our Backup Center is also recognized as a pole of competence in the field of marine mammals through the RNE – National Stranding Network. The OAK and its Responsible for the Backup Center, Mr. Alain BEAUFILS, regularly welcomes trainees some individuals : members of the RNE who come to develop or enhance their knowledge of marine mammals. A moment of exchange that is conducive to discuss the biology of these incredible animals. Whether specific facilities (swimming pools, aviaries and tunnels,...), their diet or even the time spent by our employees to take care of them, the seals can lead to significant costs. On average, a young seal found stranded generates 2 500€ costs for our association until his release. Each year, we receive also of adults in distress (capture by fishing nets, disease by toxic substances, etc.).

Our future
Our Backup Center is in continuous development since the opening of the association. The indoor facilities were inaugurated in 1996 with the Minister of the Environment, Corinne LEPAGE. During the following years, many outdoor facilities have seen the light of day in 2016 the construction of a new aviary (small aviary) and the reception room of the animals in 2017. Our indoor facilities : treatment room, the corridor of the boxes, the nursery of birds, the quarantine seal, the nursery mammals, the shop and the kitchen. Our outdoor facilities : 1 swimming pool, square, 12 small pens, 10 small aviaries, 2 cleats sparrows, 4 aviaries and pools, 1 birdhouse tunnel, 1 swimming pool, tunnel, 1 aviary colombidé, 1 cleat of the raptors and 16 pens of mammals. In order to meet the increased enrolment, we want to make the purchase of the land adjoining to build new infrastructure that will all have a specific role :
- 2nd in a swimming tunnel for the reception of the seals. Three years ago, the care centre, Picardy Nature has unfortunately had to close its doors. Specialized in the reception of the seals as the OAK, the team of this partner association now performs the repatriation of distressed individuals to our Centre backs or one of the LPA Calais. Today, therefore, we have an increased enrolment of these animals that require specific infrastructure to optimum. This pool will be long enough to permit exercise of the animals in care, will be endowed with a filtration system new generation for ease of maintenance and offer a gentle slope, and ranges to facilitate the care and feeding.
- Two aviaries and tunnels for the rehabilitation of birds. We are every year confronted with the same problematic during the summer season : how to allow the different birds residents to do rehabilitation and get used to the flight with a single aviary ? Today the question no longer arises : we can't. It is essential for us to build two new aviaries and tunnels.
- An aviary of prey for the rehabilitation of large birds of prey. Since birds at the biology and the particular subjectivity of its own, the raptors welcomed require structures adapted to their system of volume-In fact, it turns out that the aviary tunnels are not optimal for the raptors as it is not necessary as the length for the flight than the height. In fact, our goal is that they musclent by achieving great movement from top to bottom, our aviaries and tunnels are therefore more adapted to the new protocol of care that we want to put in place.