Animal charity launches appeal after busiest year

The charity handled more than 1,000 casualties in June 2023 - a record for a single month

An animal charity has launched an appeal for funds after having its busiest year on record.

The East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service (East Sussex WRAS) saw an 18% increase in the number of casualties it dealt with in 2023.

The total of 5,989 incidents recorded made it the charity's busiest year, with June 2023 exceeding 1,000 animals in a single month for the first time.

A spokesperson said the increase had "strained all our resources to the maximum" and coincided with a decrease in fundraising income "as the cost-of-living crisis continues".

WRAS has taken in orphaned foxes - and expects to deal with more throughout 2024

WRAS was started as a voluntary group by founder and operations director Trevor Weeks in 1996.

Mr Weeks, who was awarded an MBE in 2012 for his work, said the charity needed to raise an additional £34,000 to "support the extra dedicated staff required for the spring/summer period".

He said: "We are once again preparing for a rise in casualties during the upcoming months.

"We are already rescuing fledglings being blown out of trees, taking in orphaned fox and badger cubs.

"If the trend of increases continues, as it generally does each year, our already limited resources will face even greater pressure."

'Entangled in netting'

Mr Weeks said rising costs and increased workloads were causing "genuine concern".

The extra money would maintain the charity's wildlife rescue service and pay for extended reception coverage for rescue co-ordination in the evenings from its casualty centre base at Whitesmith, as well as fund additional hours for a veterinary surgeon.

Mr Weeks said the increased development of the countryside is causing more wildlife to come into contact with humans.

"Sadly it is the wildlife which generally comes off worse - suffering after being shot, run over, entangled in netting, poisoned, attacked, bitten by cats or dogs as well as getting trapped in manmade structures and traps," he added.