KNUTSFORD’S very own wildlife whisperer has revealed images of his brand new animal hospital before it officially opens in a month.

Owner of the Lower Moss Wood Wildlife Hospital, Ray Jackson, has redesigned the hospital from scratch after it closed down last year.

He recently showed the Knutsford Guardian around the premises in an exclusive tour, where he also spoke about the struggle of keeping the project alive.

The hospital, which survives off public donations, was closed down following a troublesome rat infestation and Ray was concerned that it would spell the end of Lower Moss Wood.

He said: “There were tears all round when we found out we were closing, it was really sad. But I thought, 'I’m not going to waste 25 years of work- I was born to do it'.

“We got our heads together. We tried to look at a new brick building to replace the old one but we were told it would cost half a million pounds, so we had to shelve that idea.”

After receiving a legacy, Ray approached The Stable Company, and after viewing a similar building in Leicestershire, he decided that it was the perfect design for his hospital.

He said: “I sat down and drew my plans and lived in it in my head for months until I mapped out what I wanted. It was lovely watching it grow and we filmed every step of the way. We were originally going to do it ourselves but we decided to get the professionals in.”

The new hospital, which is built within the same 18 acres of land, boasts state-of-the-art equipment housed in brand new purpose-made rooms.

Instead of the four original rooms, there is now a room for small mammals, a large mammals room, a kitchen, a food store and a laundry, as well as a bird room, a specimen lab, an intensive care room and an operating theatre.

Ray said: “I have to kick myself every time I see it to believe it. We have really built it to last. We are beginning to equip all of the rooms so that we are ready for anything.”

People send animals from miles around, with some coming from as far as Wales or the Lake District, and Ray and his team are on hand to nurse them back to health until they are ready to be released back into the wild.

Ray’s next plan is to revamp the Eagle Owl pen, and to build an aviary on the foundations of the old building.

Lower Moss Wood have already started taking in animals ahead of the opening next month, but due to ongoing work they are not yet at full capacity.

For more information about the hospital or to donate, visit www.facebook.com/lowermosswoodwildlife