A registered vet nurse from Ashby is heading to the Amazon Rainforest to help treat and rehabilitate injured wildlife.

Ben Witcomb works at Linnaeus-owned Woodward Veterinary Practice, based at the Ivanhoe Business Park, and will cross the Atlantic next month to volunteer at the Amazon Shelter in Peru.

During the build-up to the trip of a lifetime, Ben, and his partner and fellow RVN Dan Roden, have also carried out a series of fundraising events to support their mission. 

Ben explained: "We are both registered veterinary nurses and will be volunteering at the Amazon Shelter to treat and rehabilitate injured wildlife and return them to the rainforest.

Woodward Vetinerary Practice at the Ivanhoe Business Park in Ashby. Photo: Instantstreetview.com

"Due to illegal logging, mining and deforestation many animals in the Rain Forest are captured, mistreated or sold into the pet trade.

"There are more than 500 animals at the sanctuary including macaws, tapirs, sloths and monkeys with everyone at the centre working to give them a second chance of a life in the wild.

"It's a terrific cause and over the past 14 years the shelter team have successfully rehabilitated and released hundreds of animals back into the forest and each year they strive to be even more successful."

The pair are not just using annual holidays to volunteer in Peru, they are also giving up their spare time to help raise money to fund the trip.

Ben added: "We've been carrying out different fundraising events, such as cycling 170 miles along the 'Way of the Roses' in April.

"I'm quite a keen gardener, so I've also been selling my homegrown flower bouquets and done plenty of baking to raise more money. 

"Every penny raised has gone towards the Amazon Shelter trip and we have set up a JustGiving page for anyone who would still like to donate."

Anyone wishing to donate can do so via the pair's JustGiving page HERE.

For more information about Woodward Veterinary Practice, visit www.woodward-vets.co.uk.