Rescuers free fox found tangled in a football net
Sports clubs in the UK have been urged not to leave netting out overnight after a young fox got its entire body entangled in a football goal net.
The RSPCA cited the fox's ordeal at a school in Cannock, Staffordshire, as a prime example of the dangers netting can pose to wildlife, including birds and hedgehogs.
RSPCA staff took the fox to the charity's Stapeley Grange wildlife centre in Nantwich, Cheshire, to be safely released from the net and placed on a drip due to his weak condition.
Lee Stewart, manager at Stapeley Grange, said: "The fox was very lucky as these sort of incidents can easily be fatal.
"Netting such as goal nets pose a real hazard to our wildlife and sadly many wild animals get trapped in them.
"To prevent this from happening, we encourage people to remove the nets after use and store them safely away. It only takes a few minutes and it could save an animal from suffering, like this poor fox did."
