Valentines Celebration at Suffolk Owl Sanctuary

The upcoming Valentines celebration day at the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary provides fun for the whole family with lots of exciting things going on, including, a Safari trail, a chance to meet real Alpacas and learn about exotic birds, face painting, competitions, an afternoon flying display and champagne and chocolates on the day. This is an event not to be missed.  Sunday February 12th 2012 – Be there.

Suffolk Owl Sanctuary currently has around 90 owls and birds of prey in its care. They include falcons, hawks, eagles, hobbies, red kites and Gypsy the vulture. The large site (around an acre and a half) also contains a pretty Woodland Walk which is inhabited by a successful breeding colony of red squirrels and a number of chipmunks. In the past red squirrels that have been bred on this site have been relocated to Anglesey in Wales for release into the wild.

A new development for the 2012 season in this part of our site will be the introduction of two meerkats in a visitor friendly viewing enclosure and a petting area where visitors will be able to enjoy close contact with rabbits and guinea pigs.

One of the highlights of any visit to the owl sanctuary is the impressive flying displays which take place between March 31st. and September 1st. Visitors can enjoy this spectacle twice a day during the week and thrice a day at weekends. During these displays visitors can enjoy close proximity to the owls , the chance to acquire some unique photographs and glean a wealth of  information through the falconers'  expert commentaries.

The sanctuary conducts a variety of breeding programmes periodically, sometimes with birds on loan from other establishments, for example Tawny Eagles from Hawk Experience in North Yorkshire  and Lady the Lanar Falcon and Titch the Jack Merlin from a local falconer. In turn the centre currently has a Harris Hawk out on loan for breeding.

The sanctuary is a family orientated charity - we offer a children's play area and maze and there is plenty of space indoors and out for picnicing. Every child who visits the centre receives a free S.O.S.Safari booklet containing puzzles and activities. There are stamps to collect around the aviaries and, on completion, a gift to take home. Children's parties are also catered for throughout the year for children from age 6 upwards. These are of 2 hours duration and include a photo opportunity with an owl, craft activity, free owl adoption and goody bags to take home.

Every month there is a special event at the sanctuary - an opportunity for local visitors to engage with a variety of other local groups and charities and often including free children's activities and competitions.

As a charity the owl sanctuary is constantly working to raise funds and awareness of the work continually taking place. The new raptor hospital is a recent success story - after a huge fundraising effort by one of the falconers, Maz Robinson, the old dilapidated hospital has been replaced with a brand new purpose built facility. This has enabled the sanctuary to offer faster and thus more effective treatment to the many injured birds that are brought in by members of the public every year - many are casualties of road traffic accidents.

The East Anglian Academy of Falconry is also part of the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary and offers a variety of owl and bird of prey courses and, during the winter, hunting days. These courses are suitable for both complete novices and those with bird of prey experience. They are a popular choice for those looking for an exciting and unique birthday  or Christmas gift (vouchers available) and all include lunch at local pub, the Ten Bells.

The Owl Adoption Scheme is also well supported and offers the adopter a choice of eight owls to support for a whole year. All supporters of this scheme receive a certificate with details of the owl of their choice, a bi-annual newsletter informing them of the ongoing work of the sanctuary and a photograph of their bird.

Why is the owl sanctuary worth a visit? Because it is a unique and truly memorable visitor experience in a beautiful part of Suffolk.