A litter warning has been issued after a fox cub was found struggling with a plastic peanut butter jar on its head.
The young animal was found with its head stuck by a member of the public in Manchester.
Animal charity the RSPCA, which came to the cub’s rescue, said in a statement that the number of animals sustaining serious injuries caused by plastic litter was at an all-time high.
Animal collection officer Jessica Pierce, who rescued the cub on Easter Monday, said: “The poor little cub had obviously pushed his nose into the plastic container to lick out any peanut butter that was left inside and then quickly realised he was stuck fast.
“He was quite distressed and tired when I got to him so it’s not clear how long he’d been stuck like this.”
After the cub was freed he was released back into the wild and collected by his mother, who took him back to their den.
Ms Pierce added: “This little fox cub’s rescue is an excellent reminder of why it’s so important to properly dispose of rubbish.
“This cub could have easily suffocated or starved to death had we not got to him when we did. He was very lucky.”
The RSPCA has issued a litter warning following the rescue.
The charity has recorded a rise in incidents involving animals and plastic waste.
There has been a 22% rise over four years, with 473 incidents recorded in 2015, compared with 579 in 2018.
The rescue comes weeks after another fox was found with a plastic container stuck on its head in Mexborough, near Doncaster.
