RSPCA: Most ‘weird and wonderful’ animal rescues of 2022 – BBC

A frog that travelled 4, 000 miles (6, 400km) in a bunch of bananas was among one of the strangest animal rescues of the year, according to the RSPCA.

In 2022, its officers responded to some “weird and wonderful” animal protects.

The charity was called to thousands of incidents where birds, wildlife, pets and farm animals found themselves in tricky spots.

The RSPCA said it was an “honour” to lend a helping hand in order to animals within need.

One of the first to be rescued in 2022 was Nacho, a six-month-old seal pup who appeared next in order to a riverbank by the Aged Lock & Weird Inn in Keynsham, Bristol, on 2 January.

“The River Avon runs from the coast all the way along through Keynsham where the pub is situated at the water’s edge, so it’s likely he found his way there swimming upstream from the coast, ” said RSPCA wildlife supervisor Paul Oaten.

Two days later, on four January, a fellow seal pup has been found upon a cliff in Weybourne, Norfolk, 50ft (15m) from the beach next to a brick wartime pillbox.

“I had been quite surprised to find this seal so far up – this individual must have just taken a wrong turn and then followed the coastal path before ending up on the cliff edge, inch said the particular RSPCA’s Amy Pellegrini, who took the pup down to a safe spot upon the nearby beach.

The RSPCA responded to several incidents of foxes getting their heads stuck, including an incident in February where a vixen became trapped in a watering can in Colchester, Essex.

Later that will month, the fox was found with a large tin can of dog food within Barking, London.

RSPCA inspector Dale Grant said it proved “how dangerous litter can be”.

In London, several foxes were preserved in the particular space associated with a month after obtaining their mind stuck in the central hole of tyres, including a cub which had discovered its way into the shed in Orpington.

“The residents had also discovered his sister within the shed, anxiously watching her brother, ” explained rescuer Rodney Kenny of the event in April.

Mr Kenny said there was “no time to spare” as it was likely the fox experienced been stuck for a number of days without food or water, but it has been quickly extracted with soapy water plus both cubs were taken in to care.

In July, customers eating at a McDonald’s within Bognor Regis, West Sussex, found a 5ft (1. 52m) boa constrictor slithering through the particular fast food restaurant.

The non-venomous snake had been passed on in order to staff, that placed this in a box before it was collected by the RSPCA.

Within August, rescuers used barbecue tongs to pull the hedgehog free from an open drain in Hull, East Yorkshire.

“It was great teamwork… it involved a little bit of gentle persuasion and the use associated with some BBQ tongs in order to carefully ease him out of the particular drain, ” said the RSPCA’s Gary Cotton, who else checked the particular hedgehog over with fellow rescuer Laura Barber prior to releasing this back into the wild.

In September, fire crews were known as to help another hedgehog, after it tumbled 25ft (7. 62m) into an historic ice house on The Dawnay Estates near Scarborough, North Yorkshire.

“The deep well was dug and used to store snow during the summer within the 1800s and, while no longer used, has been preserved for visitors, ” said Insp Thomas Hutton, who was called to help.

The RSPCA was called in September after a Hispaniolan common tree frog travelled 4, 300 kilometers (6, 920km) from the particular Dominican Republic to the UK in a bunch of bananas .

“We were unpacking the shopping in the kitchen and my wife turned to me and stated ‘look there’s a frog in the particular bananas’ plus I mentioned ‘sorry, there’s a what in the bananas? ‘, ” said Iain Holloway from Tamworth, Staffordshire.

Rescuer Jonny Wood said the frog was in good condition, despite its long journey.

In Newcastle, the small finch flew through the open window of a Next store on 13 November, and was finally caught two days later on.

“She just couldn’t fly back away and has been flitting around the displays more than three floors, ” stated rescuer Rachael Hurst.

“No doubt the particular bright decorations in the Christmas displays attracted her and at one stage she’d landed upon top of a tree and seemed very happy to stay presently there too. inch

RSPCA inspectorate commissioner Dermot Murphy mentioned: “With our teams out there rescuing animals from danger and suffering 365 days a year, we are often their only hope.

“It’s an honour to be able to give a hand to creatures in desperate need and we hope people enjoy seeing some of the weird plus wonderful places animals have found themselves in need of our assist. ”

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