The public are being warned to take down children’s football nets because they are proving a menace to wildlife.
In the latest incident, a fox cub was left badly injured and distressed after becoming entangled in the nets of children’s football goals in a garden in Edinburgh.
The female cub is now undergoing intensive physiotherapy at the Scottish SCPA’s Wildlife Rescue Centre near Dunfermline.
The eight-week-old cub was rescued from The Grange area of Edinburgh last Wednesday after the occupants discovered her entangled in the netting.
Middlebank Centre manager Colin Seddon said, “This little fox cub had gotten herself well and truly tangled up in the nets.
“The caller had found her with netting wound tightly around her front right leg and more netting around her neck, which could have proved fatal had she been left to struggle.”
He said physiotherapy involves manipulating the lower part of the leg to encourage the feeling back.Trapped nerves”It is still very swollen and there may well be trapped nerves,” said Colin.
“Without full use of her leg she would not survive in the wild, so we are doing everything we can to get her back to health,” he added.
Animal ambulance driver Mairi Stewart said, “Birds and hedgehogs in particular are often found tangled in football nets and many don’t survive.
“However, we did have one incident last year where a hedgehog trapped in netting dragged the plastic goals across four gardens in an effort to escape.”
Now, she added, the charity was keen to encourage people to tidy away football nets when they are not in use.
“It could save an animal’s life,” she said.
Anyone who wants to report an injured or distressed animal should call the Scottish SPCA’s animal helpline on 03000 999999.