Animal lovers with a bit of spare time are being invited to help out at at Curraghs Wildlife Park.

The park, in Ballaugh, is recruiting volunteers ahead of the busy summer season.

An open day on Sunday, March 5, will allow potential volunteers and Friends of the Curraghs Wildlife Park to visit the facility, learn about its work and meet staff and current helpers.

Among the many roles that volunteers can undertake are feeding time talks, presentations in the rainforest theatre, running the discovery hut and hosting craft activities.

They can also help with practical work parties and fundraising events.

Volunteers are enrolled as members of the Friends, a charity founded to support the work of the park.

David Cretney MLC, the Member of the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture responsible for the park, said: ’The park is an important part of our visitor economy and popular with local families, too.

’Our volunteers and Friends play a key role in helping us show off this excellent facility to those who come to see us.

’We have a number of stalwart volunteers and Friends on whom we rely but numbers inevitably dwindle over time and we are looking to boost the numbers to allow us to maintain and enhance the activities visitors experience.’

The park is home to 75 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and invertebrates.

It is open daily from April to October and last year attracted 55,000 visitors.

Education officer Liz Brunswick said: ’Volunteers don’t need any qualifications or experience of working at a wildlife park or zoo, as we will train them in the areas they’ll work in.

’We are looking for people who like animals and are friendly, enjoy meeting people and have some time to spare.

’We would also love to hear from people with DIY skills or who have experience of marketing and fundraising as these are new areas where volunteers would be especially useful.’

Liz added: It’s important to point out that volunteers are not directly involved in animal care, as these are specialised roles, filled by our keepers.

’There is no minimum commitment in terms of hours, but it’s important that people are reliable once they commit to attend, so advertised activities happen as scheduled.’

It was Mo Parker-Child’s love of nature and wildlife that drew her to volunteering last year.

Mo, aged 69, can be found in the educational discovery hut where she enjoys meeting people and helping them to connect with the natural world.

She said: ’I absolutely love my afternoons in the discovery hut.

’It is incredibly rewarding to work in such beautiful surroundings with animals all around you.’

Lucy Buxton, aged 48, has been a volunteer at the park for about five years.

She gives talks to visitors on the animals and helps with rainforest theatre ecounters.

She too enjoys meeting visitors to the park.

Those keen to volunteer after attending the open day will be invited back to an initial training day on Sunday, March 19, when they will learn in more depth about how they will contribute.

Volunteers are provided with a Wildlife Park polo shirt so visitors recognise them.

Several times a year, volunteers meet for further training and to stay updated on the park’s activities.

Liz said: ’Volunteers must be 18 but there’s no upper age limit. Volunteering is a good addition to a CV for a young person but is equally fulfilling for someone with time to spare during the daytime, someone newly retired, etc.’

If you would like to attend the open day, email [email protected] or phone 693582 for more information.

To find out more about the park or to book tickets visit www.curraghswildlifepark.im and follow the park on Facebook and Twitter @lizwildlifepark

Its current (winter) opening hours are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 10am to 4pm (last admission 3pm). It switches to summer hours on April 1.