For Fox Sake! How do I get myself out of this one?!

A concerned gardener contacted the RSPCA after they discovered the poor fox caught up in the thick netting on Sunday (18 July).

Every time the young dog fox tried to get himself free - he became more and more caught in the netting.

As the incident happened during the current heat wave - the kind hearted member of the public tried to create some shade out of a tarpaulin and put water on the poor fox to keep him cool.

RSPCA Inspector Herchy Boal attended the incident and said: "This poor fox had got himself in a real tangle.

"This poor boy was so hot from the intense heat and had exhausted himself trying to get free, but it was still quite a challenge to rescue him.

"The rope was so thick it was hard to cut through and everytime he got a little bit more free he would then start thrashing around to get away.

"Thankfully I managed to cut him free in the end  and he hadn¿t sustained any injuries so I was able to release him - and he ran off without even a thank you!

"I would like to say a big thank you to the member of the public who stayed and monitored the fox until I was able to arrive and kept him cool and did all they could to help this poor boy.

"If the fox hadn't been freed he would have almost certainly died from exhaustion and heat exposure.

"While it was no one's fault that this had happened to this poor fox it just shows the dangers netting can pose to our wildlife."

Already 1,139 calls about animals entangled in sports, garden and deterrence netting already this year 

In just three weeks in June this year, the animal charity had already received at least 30 netting entanglement reports, 20 of which related to foxes or fox cubs and the remainder being other species such as hedgehogs, deer, rabbits and birds such as gulls and crows. 

RSPCA Scientific Officer Evie Button said:  "The RSPCA receives hundreds of calls every year to rescue animals - often wildlife - who have become tangled in netting on sporting equipment or garden nets.

"Already this year, the number of call-outs to rescue animals caught up in nets are up on 2020 and in the past couple of months, we have had a spate of young foxes in particular becoming entangled.

"Getting tangled up in netting is very stressful for an animal, particularly one that¿s wild. And if the animal gets seriously entangled, netting - whether it's used for sports, fencing or the garden - can cause severe injuries or even death."

Of the 503 incidents reported to the RSPCA about wild mammals tangled in netting in 2020, 223 were related to foxes, 155 were hedgehogs and 104 deer.

To report concerns about an animal, call the RSPCA's emergency line on 0300 1234 999 or find out more about helping injured wild animals. Please do not try to free the animal from the netting yourself, as animals can have serious injuries if they become tightly entangled, so it's best that they are examined to check if they need veterinary treatment before being released.

This summer we have launched our Cancel Out Cruelty campaign, to find out more and help us continue to rescue animals in need.