The Exotic  Pet  Refuge
Albert the llama, one of the refuge's 400 exotic animals and birds

A small slice of South Lincolnshire countryside well off the beaten track has been turned into a refuge for exotic pets that have suddenly become unwanted by their owners. A wide variety of animals and birds from around the world have been given refuge here by Pam Mansfield and her husband Mel who have no reason for doing so other than that they love wild creatures and cannot bear to see them harmed or neglected. 

Four acres of land around their cottage alongside a lonely road on the outskirts of Deeping St James is now home to more than 300 species and you are just as likely to find here a monkey from Madagascar as a fox from Folkingham because the couple never refuse space to anything that is brought in, whether an exotic pet or one of our own indigenous species. 

The Exotic Pet Refuge is a registered charity dedicated to caring for exotic pets and wild animals. It was founded by Pam and Mel in 1985 although its roots go back much further, to the early 1970s, springing from small beginnings behind their council house home at Etton, near Market Deeping. Here the foundations of the present project were laid but soon the pens and cages extended the length of their back garden and it became apparent that more space was needed and in 1995 they bought this property because the adjoining paddock offered the ideal conditions that would enable them extend their activities. It is now one of the largest centres of its kind in the United Kingdom and is becoming increasingly recognised for the important role it plays in the care of unwanted and helpless animals. 

The cages around the site are now full of birds and animals, cockatiels, fruit bats, monkeys and lemurs, owls, silver foxes, meercats, gennets, iguanas and many more, including a wallaby and an inquisitive llama called Albert. The appropriately named Sandy Fox, a retired engineering worker, is one of the main assistants at this very unusual refuge and despite his 69 years he spends at least six hours a day there, building new cages, maintaining the old ones, feeding the animals and keeping the grounds in trim. 

Refuge assistant Sandy Fox with a European eagle owl called Thor that has become a familiar sight at local schools, clubs and voluntary organisations in the Bourne area during talks on the hazards and pitfalls of keeping rare and unusual birds and animals in the home.

The refuge is open to all unwanted animals. They come from disbanded zoos and private collections and many have been donated or handed over by disillusioned owners who can no longer keep them because they are unprepared and ill-equipped for such a task while many more are brought here by the R S P C A after being found in distressing circumstances. 

The refuge also cares for needy indigenous wildlife and every year there is a succession of orphaned fledgling birds, baby hedgehogs, squirrels, owls and ducks brought in. All have their special needs and all are given tender and loving care and reared until they can eventually be released back into their natural habitat. Many animals injured on the roads or through acts of cruelty are brought here and again these animals need to be nursed back to health and rehabilitated before returning to their natural environment. Pam and Mel can refuse nothing and on the day I visited they were standing by the gate anxiously awaiting the arrival of a stray hedgehog. 

Not all of the exotic animals and local wildlife are able to make the transition back into the wild and those that do not are assured of a home at the refuge for life. This is an enormous commitment but one that is willingly undertaken although money is a constant problem. 

The project is funded entirely by charity, donations from the public and an adoption scheme that enables people choose an animal and then pay £12 a year for its upkeep for which they get a newsletter about developments at the refuge and the progress of the animal or bird of their choice as well as the opportunity for frequent visits. There are also many fund-raising events and six open days a year when the visitors can drop in and tour the collection and ask questions of the staff. 

Paradoxically, it would be better if the refuge had no need to exist. Pam and Mel are strongly opposed to people keeping exotic animals as pets. They both feel that animals such a monkeys, iguanas, alligators, birds of prey and in fact all wild animals, belong in their natural environment and that we should not encourage the disturbing trade in wild animals by purchasing such creatures merely to satisfy a desire to keep an exotic pet. It is truly a sad sight to see a majestic animal such as an iguana being kept in a fish tank, as many are, or a large bird of prey such as an owl, in the restricted confines of a small and inadequate cage. Their true place is in the wild. 

Pam and her staff from the refuge regularly visit schools, clubs and voluntary organisations to preach this message and to talk about their work at the refuge, usually taking along one or two of the more friendly owls and snakes in their care and a regular companion on such trips is European eagle owl called Thor, one of the current favourites at the refuge. 

Although the laws have been tightened regarding the importation and ownership of exotic animals, the problem of unwanted pets is still with us. One that is often overlooked is that of ensuring that the exotic pet is properly fed and it is sometimes easier to purchase the pet than the important food upon which its life depends. Exotic animals not only have strange diets but many also need to live in a special environment with controlled lighting and temperature. This, coupled with the dietary requirements, makes caring for such animals far more difficult than most people realise. Moreover, cuddly and cute baby animals can, and invariably do, grow into large unmanageable adults whose owners simply cannot cope. This is when the Exotic Pet Refuge comes into its own.

WRITTEN DECEMBER 2000

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