Wildwood thieves took hundreds of “donations and a pair of socks”
The theft of charity donations has left the Wildwood Discovery Park, near Canterbury, short of funding after a break-in on Monday morning.
Peter Smith, the founder and director of the animal sanctuary told The Canterbury Hub that the charity project helped to stop dormice going extinct in the UK.
He said: “The thieves tried to smash into our safe to open it, but where scared off by the security alarm. They ended up taking donations and a pairs of socks from the gift shop.”
Heart-broken staff were appalled by the incident and Sarah Anstee, Wildwood’s appeals officer, said: “This vile act of stealing money donated for our vital conservation efforts that was so generously given by our supporters is beyond despicable.”
Mr Smith continued to describe the rescue appeal: “The rescue project has had some success over the last 16 years, as we help to breed dormice and reintegrate them into the British countryside.
Dormice numbers have been seen dropping country-wide and Peter described the landscape as an “utter desert of wildlife in our country.”
The charity helps the dying or abandoned rodents to live safely, with professional monitoring of populated areas.
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