A fox cub is currently being cared for by a rescue service based in Bury after it found itself trapped in the netting of a football goal.
On Saturday, April 11, The Fox Rescuers, a charity covering the North West and East Midlands, were called out to help a cub who had become tangled in a football goal.
Paul McDonald, a wildlife rescuer at the charity, said there have been two very similar instances of this happening recently.
The 42-year-old said they assumed the cub had been there overnight and advised members of the public to put these away when they are not using them.
Paul said: “It was absolutely screeching like a banshee when I was getting it out of the net.
“That alerted the mum, who was around when I was cutting the fox out, who was watching on which was not nice to see.
“It was terrified.”
The fox was rescued from the Healds Green area near Stockport and taken to Kirklees Valley Wildlife Rescue in Tottington, Bury.
Paul explained they would have liked to release the fox cub right away, but that they cannot do this as injuries like these can lead to pressure sores for the animal.
If these were to get infected, it would be bad news for the cub.
Paul said: “We've had it numerous times before.
“We've cut these cubs out of it and adults out of it, and then three or four days later, you see cuts appear where the rope's been so tight, and it's cut off blood pressure.
“And then there's tissue damage that only appears several days later.”
Paul said the animal had a very swollen neck when it was cut free from the netting and advised people to avoid leaving nets like this out in their garden.
He said: “People need to avoid leaving these net nets out basically.
“They are a death trap for wildlife, really.
“It is something to be aware of, and if you can put them away somewhere, then just avoid having them.
“If you do encounter an animal that is caught in it, don't just cut it and let it go. Call a wildlife rescue because they can get these pressure sores.”
Kirklees Valley Wildlife Rescue, based in Bury, took the cub in and said it was “almost completely defeated” when the rescuers arrived at the scene.
On social media, the rescue service shared a post that read: “This is why nets must NEVER be left out unattended…
“Yesterday, we took in a fox cub, just a few weeks old, after they were rescued from being entangled in football netting by our friends at The Fox Rescuers.
"The poor cub was weak and almost completely defeated when rescuers arrived. This is their second netting cub rescue of the year… and it is incredibly frustrating when they're so easily preventable.
“As rescuers worked quickly to cut him free, his cries of pure panic and pain kept the attention of his mum, who stayed close by watching her young cub struggle, but was powerless to help.
“This is the reality of leaving nets out.
“During the cub's full assessment back at our hospital, we found his neck was severely swollen.
"We don’t know how long he was trapped, but injuries like this can be far more serious than they first appear. If the netting restricted blood flow, he could develop a ligature wound - something that may not fully show for up to 10 days.
“For now, we will be closely monitoring him for any skin breakdowns, and if all clear, the hope is he can be released back to his devoted mum.
“Please - if you have football nets or garden netting, take them down when not in use.
“What seems harmless can become a deadly trap for wildlife.
“If you can help give this little one the best chance, please consider supporting his care: kirkleesvalleywildlife.org/donate”
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