Welcome to Walpertskirchen's wild children's room

Created: 05.02.2022, 18:00

By: Gerda Gebel

In Michaela Maier's hedgehog room, the prickly animals are fed up so that they can go into hibernation.

Here the boxes are stacked with the little roommates.

© Peter Gebel

Michaela Maier from Walpertskirchen takes care of hedgehogs, squirrels & co. at her wildlife station. She currently takes care of 85 prickly guests.

Walpertskirchen

– While stray cats and dogs end up in the Erdinger animal shelter in Kirchasch, the first port of call for small wild animals such as hedgehogs and squirrels is in Walpertskirchen.

Michaela Maier runs her own station here - affectionately called "the wild children's room".

In addition to her own five cats, Maier currently has 85 hedgehogs in her station, as well as some wild pigeons, several city pigeons and a goose.

Most of the hedgehogs that Maier feeds are still too light for hibernation.

"A hedgehog should weigh at least 600 grams when it starts hibernating," explains the animal keeper.

Until a hedgehog lands in her hedgehog room with stacked "single rooms", he has to overcome several stations.

To accept the found animal, the 61-year-old uses a specially installed window in her garage door, similar to a "baby hatch".

In the delivery room, she takes all the data on the little patient and his finder and begins a quick cure for fleas.

First we go to the quarantine room

The exact assessment takes place in the quarantine room, where any injuries and parasite infestation are determined.

“Hedgehogs often have fleas, mites, ticks or even fungal infestation,” says Maier, who is prepared for all eventualities.

In the case of diarrhea, the faeces must be examined, coughs caused by lungworms are also treated, and animal shelter veterinarian Dr.

Tina Ruff to the side.

If the hedgehog is found to be healthy, he can move into the hedgehog room.

The plastic boxes in which the animals are housed individually are stacked up there.

Each living box is lined with newspapers and offers a sleeping box filled with crumpled newspaper.

"Wine boxes are best suited as sleeping boxes, you remove the floor, cut in an entrance and that's it," explains Maier and laughs.

Once the animals have reached their hibernation weight, they move with their box to the covered terrace or the shed.

After hibernation, the finder should release the hedgehog at the site where it was found

The information sheet created during the recording with the data on the finder is attached to each box.

"After hibernation at the end of April, every finder is called to pick up their hedgehog and release it at the site where it was found," she reports and recommends feeding the hedgehog for a few more days after it has been released until it can manage on its own.

Feeding also takes a lot of time in the hedgehog room.

The expert feeds around 18 kilos of dog and cat food every evening, with each hedgehog being served 150 to 170 grams of food in an aluminum bowl.

"The food is paid for by the Erding animal shelter, I do the work on a voluntary basis," explains Maier.

Care contract with the Tierschutzverein Landkreis Erding

30 years ago she found and raised motherless baby hedgehogs in her own garden.

She was supported at the time by veterinarian Dr.

Blaschke, who subsequently sent her boulders to raise again and again, tells the now experienced hedgehog mom, who has been working as a veterinary assistant in a practice in the district for 20 years.

For five years, Maier also looked after domestic and wild animals at the animal shelter in Kirchasch.

Two years ago, she decided to set up her own wildlife sanctuary in her home.

For this purpose, she signed a care contract with the Tierschutzverein Landkreis Erding, which covers the costs for food and the veterinarian.

She has successfully completed the assessment by the veterinary office and is allowed to operate a "animal shelter-like facility according to paragraph 11".

Arrivals and departures of the animal guests are meticulously documented

"According to the law, no wild animals may actually be kept, this is only permitted for rearing and care," explains Maier.

She keeps a precise inventory book for the veterinary office, in which the arrivals and departures of her animal guests are documented.

The trained dental assistant has acquired the specialist knowledge through various qualifications and courses as well as many years of experience.

If it is quiet in the wild children's room at the beginning of the year, it becomes all the more exciting with the beginning of the bird breeding season.

Tiny baby birds keep arriving, so-called nestlings and fledglings, which are sometimes fed hourly.

"Some I even take with me to work at the vet, but you can't save them all," says the animal-loving resident of Walpertskirchen.

Hedgehog No. 59 feels at home in his individual box.

He got a Prosecco carton as a sleeping box.

According to Michaela Maier, such boxes are particularly suitable for this purpose.

© Peter Gebel

Even supposedly abandoned hares are brought to her.

But caution is advised here, because "hares usually sit alone in the field, the mothers only come by briefly to breastfeed".

The bunnies no longer accept these when they smell like humans.

Caring for them is not easy, because the little rabbits quickly get diarrhea, which can be fatal.

"I feed them cat rearing milk with fennel tea," reveals the animal keeper.

She advises only taking bunnies with you if they are injured or have had contact with a dog or cat.

Michaela Maier also raises baby squirrels

Maier also has experience with raising small squirrels.

When they fall out of the ditch in a storm, she raises them with the milk bottle, later baby cereal, fruit and nuts are on the menu.

The squirrels spend the summer in an outdoor aviary and are released into the wild by autumn at the latest.

Little foxes, martens or birds of prey in need of help only stay in the wild children's room for a short time, they are passed on to suitable foster homes.

Where there is a lot of feeding, there is also a lot of waste.

"Twice a week I drive sacks full of feed cans, bedding and paper to the waste transfer station in Isen," reports Maier, whose voluntary commitment is not limited to animal care.

She is on the road several times a week for food rescue and is allowed to pick up fruit and vegetables for disposal at Aldi Süd with official approval.

The recipients are mainly the animal shelter and sanctuary in Kirchasch, but also other pet owners.

Michaela Maier has been delivering the local newspaper for more than 35 years

Before the animals are looked after, the Walpertskirchen residents are given the local newspaper every morning, which Maier has been delivering for more than 35 years.

Due to her various activities, Maier is very committed.

She can't remember the last time she was on vacation, she says with a smile.

In addition to her love for animals, she also likes contact with people.

However, she warns: "The smell must not bother you."

As far as the animals are concerned, the animal keeper remains pragmatic: "You can't save everyone, because a wild animal has to be fit to survive when it's released back into the wild, unlike domestic animals, which can continue to live with restrictions".

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Gerda & Peter Gebel