Everywhere in the world,
we can observe
and be touched
by acts of kindness.
People from all walks of
life, faiths, and cultures
extend themselves
beyond the call of duty
to help others
unconditionally.
Through their noble deeds,
humanity as a whole
is elevated.
To commend
virtuous actions and
encourage more people
to be inspired
by their examples,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai
has lovingly created
a series of awards,
including the Shining
World Leadership
Award, Shining World
Compassion Award,
Shining World Hero and
Heroine Awards, Shining
World Honesty Award,
Shining World Protection
Award, Shining World
Intelligence Award,
and Shining World
Inventor Award,
to recognize some
of the most exemplary,
generous, caring,
and courageous people
who walk amongst us.
We’ve got a wound
under here.
You can just about see.
We’re not really sure
what happened,
whether he (perhaps)
hit an electricity cable.
And we’ve stitched up
what we can do,
but he’s doing quite well.
Secret World Wildlife
Rescue in Somerset, UK
specializes in the rescue,
rehabilitation
and eventual release
of sick, injured and
orphaned wild animals.
On average,
this marvelous group
helps over 4,000 of our
animal friends each year.
Secret World has
the distinction of being
the only 24-hour a day,
seven-day a week
wildlife rescue center
in South West England.
As part of their educational
outreach program,
Secret World staff members
visit local schools
to help children
learn about nature
and encourage them
to protect wildlife.
The sanctuary was
established in 1992 by
Pauline and Derek Kidner,
who both care deeply
about animals.
The wildlife at the center
often need intensive care.
Sick animals require
regular doses of medicine,
wounded ones
may require surgery
and dressing changes
and babies need
to be fed constantly.
In addition,
healed animals
being prepared for release
need food and
all such facilities require
regular maintenance.
Fortunately,
the loving staff
and a team of over 600
dedicated volunteers
are always willing to help.
We’ve actually gone up
now to nine animal carers
here at Secret World
and that’s because
we have a shift that
runs from 8 AM to 5 PM
and then another one that
runs from 2 PM to 10 PM
and there’s
an emergency service
that covers all the way
through the night.
We have a very, very
small turnover of staff,
so most of those have
actually been with us for
at least five to seven years,
if not even more.
And we’re very lucky
that we’ve now been
joined by Sara Cowen
who has been involved
with wildlife
for over 20 years herself.
And she’s a qualified
veterinary nurse
and has huge experience
in wildlife.
And although she’s only
been with us since May,
it still has upped the care
that we can give animals,
and it’s really been
lovely to see how
she has progressed and
taught our staff similarly
how to do different things.
So yes,
we have a stable staffing
and I think that means
that you’re able to
give better quality care.
Moreover,
the center is able to care for
a wide range of species
due to its expert staff
and diverse facilities.
We’re very lucky
in Somerset.
It’s actually got
a huge variety of wildlife
here and a very high
concentration too.
So we go right from the
smallest pipistrelle bats,
up to the Roe (deer)
and the Red deer as well.
And that really goes across
the species of birds.
We do hares.
We do rabbits.
Particularly (we care for)
badgers and foxes.
Stoats and weasels
sometimes occasionally
come in as well.
(We get) lots of mice.
And as far as
we’re concerned
it doesn’t matter
how tiny things are.
We believe that
they have the right to help
if they need our help
and the aim is always to
get them back to the wild.
And of course because
we’re close to the sea,
as well as the garden birds
and the ordinary birds
in the countryside, we get
a lot of sea birds as well.
And our best thing
in 2007 was we actually
had an albatross.
So the variety
is absolutely incredible.
Because the main goal of
Secret World is to ensure
that the animals are safe,
cared for and
allowed to rehabilitate
in an environment
that closely simulates
their natural habitat,
its grounds are
rarely open to the public.
But when the sanctuary
does open its doors,
the response is remarkable.
It is a very special place.
It’s a very old farm.
It’s over 300 years old.
It’s got
a lovely atmosphere to it.
We are only open
19 days a year.
But we have about
20,000 people through
on those days.
Over the years,
Secret World
Wildlife Rescue has built
many types of facilities
to meet the diverse needs
of its animal guests.
We’re very lucky that
as well as having facilities
for veterinary care
and for the casualty pens
where they need heat
and they need support,
over the years
we’ve been able to
build large seclusion pens
where we can put
buzzards or owls.
We’ve got garden aviaries
where we can
let those birds go
once they’ve had
a certain amount of time
in the aviaries.
And in fact with the birds,
we have aviaries around
in different people’s gardens
so that we can
involve our volunteers
very much with what we do.
Many animals understand
and appreciate the fact
that the wonderful people
at Secret World are there
to save their lives
and nurture them.
The following story
illustrates this clearly.
One of the things
that we always do here
at Secret World
is we rescue,
we rehabilitate
and then we release
and sometimes it takes
a passage of time to do that.
But then occasionally
you get an incident
where we did a year ago
where a farmer came
and told us that
he had two Roe Bucks
that were caught
by their antlers in some
sheep electric netting.
And Simon, who is my son,
was able to attend
and to eventually
take the netting
off their antlers.
And because
they were still fine,
it was only a matter
that they were caught
and he was able to
just let them go.
But what was so fascinating
was that the very first one
really fought Simon,
was really obviously
very, very scared of him.
And eventually
he let him go very carefully,
because their antlers
are very pointed.
But the second one,
seeing what happened,
then stood absolutely still
so that Simon could take
the electric fencing off
of his antlers.
And when those sorts of
things happen
and wildlife knows that
you’re helping them and
they show that they know
that you’re helping them,
that really
does give you a tingle.
It’s quite impressive to see.
For their tireless devotion
to caring for thousands of
wild animals each year,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai
honored Secret World
Wildlife Rescue
with the Shining World
Compassion Award.
Our local
Association members
presented the Award
to Ms. Kidner along with
a beautiful, framed letter
from Supreme Master
Ching Hai,
from which the following
is an excerpt.
It is with great pleasure
and gratitude that
we present to Secret World
Wildlife Rescue
the Shining World
Compassion Award.
Secret World
Wildlife Rescue's
heart-touching endeavors
extend to over 4,000
animals in need each year,
providing non-stop
nurturing care
and rescue services
24 hours a day,
seven days a week.
The scale of this operation
speaks volumes
about the dedication
and loving commitment
of your saintly personnel,
people
who give their utmost
to bring new hope,
healing and happiness
to the blessed animals
that come to you. .
For your outstanding
selflessness and
uncompromising devotion
to the precious animals
in your care,
for the love and warmth
you give them,
and for being dedicated
and noble role models,
we hereby applaud
and celebrate
the compassionate deeds
of Secret World
Wildlife Rescue,
with special thanks
to Mrs. Pauline Kidner.
With Great Honor, Love
and Blessings,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai.
That’s lovely. Thank you
very much indeed!
That's beautiful!
It is everybody
working together
that makes it all happen.
Thank you very much indeed.
Secret World also
received a selection of
Supreme Master
Ching Hai’s
DVDs, CDs, and books,
including her #1
international best-sellers
“The Birds In My Life,”
“The Dogs In My Life”
and “The Noble Wilds.”
In addition,
Supreme Master Ching Hai
made a contribution
of £10,000
to Secret World
Wildlife Rescue
to help further their
compassionate endeavors.
I hope that
Master Ching Hai
understands just
how much that means to us.
The fact that
we've been acknowledged
for the work that we do
is really lovely.
And I just know that
it's going to lift the spirits
of the staff.
And obviously the money
is going to make such
a lot of difference to us.
It means that we can
carry on helping animals
and stopping suffering.
Thank you very much!
Approximately
three weeks after
the Award presentation,
Secret World volunteers
rescued over 30
cold and hungry swans
from a frozen waterway
on the Somerset Levels,
an area near the center.
After learning
of this wonderful deed,
Supreme Master
Ching Hai
generously contributed
additional funds
in the form of US$10,000
to Secret World
Wildlife Rescue
to further support their
compassionate endeavors.
Thank you very much indeed.
It means an awful lot
because even for
the rescue, you can tell
that we wouldn’t run
without volunteers.
Some of the volunteers
actually went to
cross the river
on their stomachs on the ice
to get a rope across.
And we actually managed
to rescue 21 swans
on that one day
and we literally had swan
hot water bottles,
all the way down the van
and all the way
back up the other side.
And over subsequent days,
we had a further
13 swans that came in.
And we were able to
keep them here
(for) about 7 to 10 days,
feed them up so that
they've got their condition
back again so they were
good and strong.
And this Award really did
make the volunteers
and the staff happy
because they felt
that they were really
being acknowledged for
all the work that they do.
Please thank
the Supreme Master
for her kindness.
We do appreciate it.
Ms. Pauline Kidner
and all the staff
and volunteers
at Secret World
Wildlife Rescue,
we are deeply grateful
for your commitment
to safeguarding the lives
of wild animals.
Through your efforts you
provide shining examples
of love and compassion
and beautiful role models
for the world.
May you continue
creating a bridge of
warm friendship between
animals and humans
in the years to come.
For more details
on Secret World
Wildlife Rescue,
please visit
Kind viewers,
thank you for joining us
on today’s program.
Up next is
Enlightening Entertainment
after Noteworthy News
here on
Supreme Master Television.
Blessed be
all the noble individuals
who save the lives
of animals by adopting
the organic, vegan diet.