Over 180 reports of animals affected by litter in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire in 2020
The RSPCA is urging people to take part in the Great British Spring Clean
Last updated 28th Mar 2021
The RSPCA received over 180 calls about animals affected by litter in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire in 2020.
Across England and Wales, there were a total of 3,874 reports despite the country being in lockdown for many months.
It works out at more than 10 calls per day for incidents including a duck tangled in a face mask and a baby hedgehog with plastic around its neck.
Norfolk saw 122 calls made about the issue last year, while there were 62 reports in Cambridgeshire.
The animal charity is urging people to protect animals by taking their own litter home with them and picking up anything else on their journeys.
Head of the RSPCA's wildlife department, Adam Grogan, said: "Litter is one of the biggest hazards our wildlife faces today and the pandemic has just added to the problem with many disposable masks just being discarded on the ground. These are a new danger to animals and we’ve been called out to rescue animals like ducks and gulls caught up in the masks’ elastic straps.
"That’s why we’re calling on the public to get involved in the Great British Spring Clean to help remove litter that may endanger animals."
According to the RSPCA, nearly 40% of litter-related calls (1,510) are discarded angling equipment like fishing lines, hooks, and plastic netting.
Adam added: "Animals who get their heads or necks stuck in litter can suffer severe injuries as they struggle to break free and can even suffocate, while others will slowly grow weaker and weaker as they try to hunt or find food or water.
"Others will get fishing line or netting cutting deep into their skin, affecting circulation and with wounds becoming seriously infected. These hazards can very quickly become a matter of life or death for these animals and action is urgently needed to tackle this problem head-on. It’s up to every one of us to do our bit in the war against litter."