Harborough district animal and bird rescue centre is battling to raise £6,500 to urgently strengthen its security after callous raid

A Harborough district animal and bird rescue centre is battling to raise £6,500 to urgently strengthen its security.

Leicestershire Wildlife Hospital is launching a massive effort to rake in the cash after a much-loved badger cub was stolen by “ruthless raiders”.

The Kibworth Beauchamp-based wildlife haven is setting out to put up new 10ft-high heavy gauge fencing and new CCTV cameras in a bid to crack down on intruders.

And the animal hospital’s supporters across Harborough have already donated almost £1,500 to help fund the vital work.

Angie Downham, who set up the critical venture in 1984, told the Harborough Mail: “We are coming out fighting all guns blazing in an attempt to generate £6,500.

“It’s a lot of money.

“But I’m sure we’ll get there with so many fantastic people all over Harborough getting behind us every step of the way.

“And we need every penny to tighten up security here even more,” said Angie, who took over the four-acre site in 2010.

“It’s been a huge blow to all of us here – all our first-class staff and 64 dedicated volunteers – to have the badger cub stolen last month.

“We’d all fallen in love with the beautiful little badger brought to us after being rescued.

“It’s terrible to think that the poor little thing may now be being used by some very evil people to train their dogs for badger baiting.

“We just hope that the police will catch the criminals and recover the cub.

“We are hoping to get the damaged pen she was snatched from repaired next week.

“We’ve had local security experts along here because we want to make sure that this never happens again,” said indomitable Angie, who’s fought tooth and nail for almost 40 years to keep her hospital alive and kicking.

“We have been quoted just over £5,000 for thick new fencing sealing off our three pens.

“We’ve already got about 20 security cameras here.

“But we are determined to set up even more CCTV equipment so that we’ll sweep all of our big site.

“We are quite vulnerable and isolated here on Fleckney Road because we have to be out in the countryside.

“But we will do what ever it takes to try to deter criminals tempted to break in.”

Angie is acting after the three-month-old baby badger was pinched on the night of Monday July 19.

The raiders are now being hunted by police while the RSPCA has also been drafted in to help find the stolen animal.

“It’s not easy to keep our heads above water at the best of times.

“But our funding situation is desperate now because we’ve been hit so hard by the Covid pandemic over the last 18 months,” insisted Angie.

“We’ve obviously not been able to stage our usual fundraising events since March last year.

“But we are going to start holding our traditional coffee mornings next month – and they always do well for us.

“We’ve got shedloads of poorly and injured hedgehogs as well as so many rescued birds at the moment too.

“So we’d be very grateful if people could buy the recommended food for the hogs and birds at Welland Valley Feeds in Market Harborough and bring it along.

“I would also like to say an enormous very heartfelt thank you to all of our brilliant supporters.

“We are the only wildlife hospital for miles around.

“We take in and look after all sorts of animals and birds in danger from right across the East Midlands and even beyond,” stressed Angie, whose hospital costs about £7,000-a-month to run.

“And we couldn’t do this vital job and run this critically-essential service without the amazing people in Harborough who stand with us all the way.

“So thanks very much to every single person who has already contributed to our campaign to raise £6,500 to make us more secure.

“We realise that times have been tough for all of us and we truly appreciate every penny and every donation of food that we receive.”

You can chip in to help the wildlife hospital become more secure by donating to their fundraising appeal here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/stolen-badger-cub-repair-fundYou can check out the hospital on their website here: https://www.leicestershirewildlifehospital.org.ukAnd if you have any information about the cruel burglars who stole the badger cub last month you can call Leicestershire Police on 101 quoting reference 21*406181.