This Var association that collects NAC and exotic animals is looking for a new refuge

Leave their association? “vsit doesn’t even come to mind. There’s no way! If necessary, waiting to find a home, we will place the animals with friends from right to left waiting to find but we will look for a solution. We have already managed to replace many of our protégés.” Loïc Lemerre, 39, and Sébastien Risso, 36, are at an impasse. The house where they collect their animals has to be sold by their owner and they are looking for a new place to welcome their pets.

It was in 2021 that they created the Faune Rescue association, just a few months after setting up their own green space maintenance business. Exo Gardens. Loïc was a carer. Sebastian, cook. The Covid-19 pandemic has challenged their professional life choices.

The dream of a refuge “à la Brigitte Bardot”

Born in the Var, each in families that already took in injured or abandoned animals, they in turn wanted to take care of the protected young, treat them and have them adopted. “We have always had this passion for animals. I had a very good adolescence, my family collected everything, up to 500 animals once in Garéoult”, confides Loïc. And Sébastien to remember that “my parents and my grandparents had aviaries, rabbits, chickens”.

Loïc acknowledges: “As a teenager it was an old dream, a bit like Brigitte Bardot, to create an association to collect lots of animals, but we had no idea that it would have a frightening expansion.

Sulcata tortoises, peacocks, wallabies, ferrets and macaws: the young protected by the Faune Rescue association have often given a hard time to their former owners, often overwhelmed by the sounds, care and characteristics of these little-known species. Hence the main public awareness projects. Photo Amber Mingaz.

Specialized in NAC and exotic animals

Indeed, since the creation of the association, it has been a huge success. Word of mouth and social networks work. “Veterinarians and other networked associations have called us, sometimes from far away, from all over France, because we are the only ones specialized in NAC (new pets, ed) and exotic animals in the Var. They brought us everything, sometimes wild animals, protected species. Up to 4-6 injured birds per day. People left their animals for us right outside the gate, so much so that we ended up putting up cameras. Curious people came with their children to see our wallabies through the fence, which scared them. We had to build a fence.”

The two defenders of the animal cause are quickly overwhelmed. However, they managed to save many wounded, sick or abused wild and domestic animals, especially birds, their specialty, but also a couple of kangaroos, parrots, peacocks, a miniature pig that had grown enormous, two turtles of today’s size. rabbits, ferrets…

Animals sometimes arrived in great difficulty but saved in extremis thanks to the patience and care of Loïc and Sébastien who built beautiful cages and parks in the garden of their house in Cavalaire to welcome their protégés.

Wallabies Photo Amber Mingaz.

Noah’s Ark Threatened

A corner of paradise. Only the owner wants his house back. At 1^um July, the two rescuers will find themselves and their animals homeless.

And make a phone call. “We are studying all opportunities, if possible in the Gulf, because we have our business there and none of our customers want us to leave. We are looking for a house to rent with 2,000 m² of minimal land”.

Ferrets Photo Amber Mingaz.

The projects are already in the pipeline

“We have many projects in mind but our priority is to find the house first”, explains Loïc Lemerre. “Parrots like peacocks scream a lot. Often people call us, ask for advice and end up telling us that they can’t take it anymore, that they want to get rid of it. They have problems with neighbors, let’s admit it’s a divorce. People are going crazy.” And macaws can live up to 80 years!

“People think they’re doing the right thing by giving them everything to eat.” The birds then arrive in a state of malnutrition, sick. “Plucked feathers are a sign that the liver is no longer functioning, that they are deficient.” Some owners even clip their wings to keep them from flying off. Loïc Lemerre and Sébastien Risso also have two sulcata tortoises among their residents. “Initially, people buy eggs and then grow them. Our turtles weigh 20 kg but can weigh up to 100 kg as adults. They need a greenhouse in winter to stay warm, otherwise they die.”

Fragile and little known species

Wallabies? “They have very brittle teeth and can abscess easily, especially under the influence of stress. You have to be very careful what you feed them. We almost lost one that we finally managed to save in three weeks, it’s extremely rare.”

Experienced lifeguards are eager to share their experience. “We have done many rescues, over a hundred animals. The goal is not only to welcome and care for them, but above all to find good families for them. In this case we enter into adoption contracts. We also like to raise awareness. This is why we have the plan to expand precisely to welcome visitors and make the public aware of the beautiful gestures and reflexes to have, to do a little education. We had projects in mind with schools, disabled adults, retirement homes… which have been on hold long enough for us to find a little corner of paradise for our protégés.”

The call is launched.

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