New sanctuary set to open this year

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Chairwoman Carley Smith at the Three Owls protest last year

A wildlife and bird sanctuary which formed following the closure of the Three Owls Bird Sanctuary is hoping to officially open this year.

The Rochdale Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary team has applied for charity status and is hoping it will come through soon.

The sanctuary is made up of seven directors, and is currently in the process of finding the perfect location for the new sanctuary.

The team is awaiting funding, which they should find out about at the end of the month.

Chairwoman Carley Smith, said: “It is unbelievable how far we have come. It hasn’t even been a year since the group got together.

“It is incredible that we have come this far. I am really pleased. Everyone who is involved is as dedicated as at the start. It is brilliant.”

Ms Smith organised a protest outside the Town Hall last year when Three Owls had to close down due to not meeting zoo-licensing legislation.

A meeting for supporters stemmed from the protest and a new group was formed.

The team are still searching for a location but Ms Smith said they have a few ideas in mind.

“At the moment we are ironing out the pros and cons of all the sites. We want what is best for the birds and wildlife in the long term.

“It is quite a task finding the perfect place. We need somewhere that is in easy access for people to get to us but is far enough to not be intrusive on the birds.

“In theory we could probably open on a small site tomorrow but we are looking at the long term and creating a proper sanctuary.”