Preventable litter hurting wildlife, charity warns

A wildlife rescue charity says "preventable and needless" litter is leading to more animals and birds being injured.

Recent call-outs include a duck with half a yoghurt pot stuck around its beak and neck, and a fox with its head trapped in a discarded drain pipe.

Janice Eden-Bagley, a volunteer at Blyth Wildlife Rescue, said it was facing a relentless stream of emergency calls.

"People have lost sight of what their actions mean," she said, as she appealed for people to pick up litter, "even if it's not yours".

The charity, which operates in Northumberland and Tyneside, said litter had been the cause of 9% of admissions so far this year.

Ms Eden-Bagley said: "Another fox we rescued had its head stuck inside a can. We even dealt with a seagull with a tennis ball stuck in its mouth."

She said discarded fishing gear, including lines and rods, was also an issue.

"The birds ingest it, they get entangled in it," she said.

"It causes suffering and cuts into their skin, developing an infection. It's a really horrible thing to see."

Warning: This story contains upsetting images of injured animals

Sara Perry, a medic at the rescue centre, said she witnessed a duck with "half a yoghurt pot stuck around its beak and neck" with the wound becoming infected.

"When we caught him…he was quite thin, as he had been like that for some time," she said.

Another challenging rescue involved a mute swan at Wallsend pond in North Tyneside.

The swan had a plastic ring embedded around his lower beak, and due to low water levels and dense reeds, reaching the bird was a major challenge.

Ms Perry said it was "sad because it's preventable and needless".

The rescue centre has attended local schools to encourage children to dispose of litter correctly, but Ms Perry admitted they cannot help all the animals.

"There will be ones we don't know about that will be suffering right now," she said.

Dependent on species, the team of 16 can deal with about 200-plus animals at a time.

However, the centre said it was stretched to keep up with demand.

"If you see litter, pick it up, even if it's not yours," said Ms Eden-Bagley.

"It could save an animal's life. People have lost sight of what their actions mean."

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