The RSPCA is reminding people to put netting away in their gardens after a flurry of rescuing both wild and domestic animals wrapped up in netting around London.
Animal rescuers have been called out to several instances of fox cubs trapped in nets by their necks recently, and in one case a poor cub passed away following his ordeal after getting trapped in old pigeon netting in Ealing on 18 April.
The animal welfare charity was called a further two times to the same location to rescue fox cubs before the netting was finally removed. The surviving fox cubs are all recuperating at South Essex Wildlife Hospital.
RSPCA animal rescue officer (ARO) Jade Guthrie was also called out to rescue a cat that got tangled up in a net in Carshalton on 15 April.
On 10 April Jade also rescued two jays that got trapped under bird netting at a private residence in Kensington.
On 16 April, ARO Holly Walker rescued a tiny fox cub whose head was stuck through football netting at a school in Harpenden.
On 21 April Inspector Dale Grant cut free a fox cub that had her tail tangled in netting in Finchley (video below).
Jade said: “Netted fencing and netting used for gardening or in sport can be really dangerous for animals.
“We would urge those using netting for sports to remove and store all nets after their game and put any discarded or old netting safely in a bin. Any garden netting, such as pond netting, should be replaced with solid metal mesh”.
The RSPCA has launched a new campaign For Every Kind, urging people to care about the lives of every animal and carry out one million acts of kindness for animals to mark its 200th anniversary. To find out your kind of kindness and turn it into action for animals visit: rspca.org.uk/everykind.