A WILDLIFE sanctuary which provides care to animals which have been injured or abandoned had an astonishing 2,000 admissions in 2017.

WildLives Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, based in Thorrington, have been protecting wildlife for a number of years with an army of 30 voluntary staff members who tend to the animals.

The wildlife centre adopts a no euthanasia policy and aims to help heal and nurture animals after they’ve been abandoned or injured before releasing them back into the wild.

The unique rescue centre doesn’t allow members of the public to visit as owner Rosie Catford, believes that humans interacting can cause too much stress for the animals.

Currently the rehabilitation centre is home to a barn owl which has a fused joint in its shoulder, a tawy owl which was found collapsed on the side of the road and deer fawn, named Russett, which was found next to its dead mother in Halstead.

Rosie said: “Everything we do here is aiming to get the animals back into the wild where they belong.

“We have to keep the animals stress free.

“We’ve had 60 to 70 hedgehogs and we’ve also had everything from foxes, badgers, hedgehogs and otters.

“You name it, we’ve had it. We’re getting new animals in all of the time – but just about everything we take in gets put back into the wild one way or another – it’s just because I care.

“I want to live in a future where the kids of today don’t have to go to the zoo to see animals like hedgehogs but they should see them in the wild in the 21st century.

If you would like to volunteer your time at the rehabilitation centre you can contact Rosie on 01206 251174.