The RSPCA are looking for animal lovers to join their ‘army’ of wildlife casualty volunteers.

From injured hedgehogs to tiny fledglings, volunteers will be trained to support the vital frontline work of inspectors across Cambridgeshire.

Wendy Wasels, volunteer development manager at the RSPCA, said: “Our wildlife casualty volunteers play a vital role supporting our inspectors and officers who are on the frontline.

“These dedicated volunteers are trained to handle, collect and transport birds and small mammals to vets and approved wildlife.”

RSPCA inspector Richard Lythgoe sadi: “The volunteers play a vital and important role for the RSPCA and make a real difference in helping wildlife in their local areas.

“What’s also important to us inspectors is that they help to reduce the amount of time we spend on driving to collect birds in boxes and allow us to concentrate on case work, complaints, collections and other rescues.

“The volunteers really have made a positive impact on the work of the RSPCA.”

Volunteers are trained to collect and transport sick, injured, or orphaned birds and small mammals and take them to our centres or appropriate veterinary establishments.

In just seven months, 1,500 abandoned, injured or orphaned wild animals have been taken to treatment centres by the RSPCA’s army of wildlife casualty volunteers across the country.

The Wildlife Casualty Volunteer (WCV) pilot programme has been running since March 2016.

• Email volunteersupport@rspca.org.uk for an application form, adding which area you are interested in covering. Closing date Friday September 29.