THE RSPCA has warned there could be a spike in the number of animals tangled in netting this summer.
More than 500 wildlife were rescued from netting from May to July last year, including cats, fox cubs, badgers and owls.
Last July alone, 198 animals were rescued after getting tangled in netting, compared to 20 in January.
The charity said it rescued 14 animals from netting in Lancashire last year, the fifth highest figure in the North of England.
It added the number of netting rescues RSPCA officers carry out has increased drastically in the peak of summer.
Llewelyn Lowen, scientific information officer at the RSPCA, said: “Some animals survive, but very sadly many animals suffer fatal injuries, often as a result of struggling to get free from netting.
“There have been instances, for example, of fox cubs strangling themselves to death because they have been trying to free themselves.
“It doesn’t take too long with them thrashing about trying to escape before they become seriously trapped and are then unable to free themselves.
“If they go unnoticed even for a short time, they can really suffer.
“The tight net can cut off the blood supply to their limbs, damage bones where they have tried to frantically escape, or worst of all, they could be strangled to death.”
The RSPCA also said there were instances where the animal has been so severely tangled that they had to be sedated and taken to a wildlife hospital for all of the netting to be cut away.
The charity said it believed sports netting, such as football and tennis netting, and pond and fruit netting were the main culprits.
Lee Stewart, manager of the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre, added: “A simple way to prevent this from happening is to remove sports nets after use and store them safely.
“It only takes a few minutes and yet it could save an animal from suffering a horrible death.
“Where netting can’t be removed, replace them with solid metal mesh.”
More than 1,000 animals were rescued from netting by RSPCA officers last year.
Call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 if you see an animal tangled in netting.