A local wildlife hospital, which cared for more than a thousand wild animals from the Croydon area last year, is looking for volunteers to boost its ranks.

The London Wildcare Wildlife Hospital, based in Wallington, cares for sick, injured and orphaned wild animals and birds.

It currently has around 80 volunteers, but is eager to expand that number, and is looking for people who can make a weekly commitment to a half or full day a week.

The hospital, which cared for more than 1,200 casualties from the Croydon area last year, draws its volunteers from across the area.

One of them, South Norwood resident Elaine Lockwood, told the Guardian how rewarding the job can be.

She said: "I'd only ever had domestic pets before, but was always interested in wildlife.

"The hospital held a recruitment day five years ago, and I went along, and I'm still here.

"I love the fact that you are playing a part in helping animals get back into the wild."

Reeling off a bewildering list of animals she has cared for, including deers, foxes, badgers, swans, geese and bats, she said: "You get a chance to care for and help all sorts of animals people generally don't get to see first-hand."

But she warned: "It's not all fluffy animals. It can be smelly, and you occasionally get bitten, scratched and pecked, but you've just got to accept that.

"But the rewards are that you get to help many, many different kinds of animal, whereas if the hospital wasn't here, that just wouldn't happen."

The hospital's volunteer recruitment day runs from 12pm to 3pm on Sunday, February 23.

The day will see volunteers on hand to give guided tours and answer questions, and an informal interview with a full-time member of staff.

The hospital can be found in Beddington Park at the end of Church Road, Wallington, phone 8647 6230.