A FOUR-year-old nature lover from Upton Infant School is doing his part to raise money to help animals being affected by the ongoing Australian bushfires by taking on a 10-mile cycle challenge.

Marley Keen will be cycling the Castleman Trailway in West Moors on Saturday January 25 with his dad and grandad to raise money for the Australian Wildlife Rescue Organisation WIRES.

The four-year-old was looking to raise £100 for the charity but has already smashed his target as his total already stands at £535.

Sonja Keen, Marley’s mother, said: “He came home from school last week and said that he had watched the news in his class about the Australian bushfires that are currently happening and that animals like kangaroos and koalas were dying.

“He asked what we could do to help.

“I said that we live very far away but we could raise some money for a wildlife rescue organisation in Australia to help them help the wildlife. He said he would like to do that.

“Myself and my husband have both travelled round Australia when we were younger, so he's heard a lot about the country.”

Since he turned three, Marley has been an avid cyclist and goes regularly to Wareham Forest for a cycle with his dad.

Record-breaking temperatures and months of drought have led to widespread fires burning an estimated 10 million hectares of land across Australia since July 1.

Ecologist Chris Dickman has estimated more than a billion animals have died around the country, including many indigenous and endangered species including koalas, quokkas and Brush-tailed rock-wallaby.

To donate to Marley’s fundraiser, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/1v4k78phw0?sharetype=teams&member=3492322&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_na+share-sheet&pc_code=ot_co_dashboard_a&rcid=af7b4de5f3d842f388150637da73d109.