Ratownicy RSPCA podsumowują akcje ratunkowe zwierząt w 2024 roku

**VIDEO AVAILABLE: CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM TO RECEIVE** In 2024 RSPCA rescuers performed more astonishing saves than your average Premier League goalkeeper - rescuing animals caught in the oddest, and most perilous situations. Whether it’s a deer wedged in a gap between two brick walls, a swan crash-landing on the roof of the National Space Centre, a fox with a planter stuck on its head, or a buzzard tangled in a fence, the charity’s dedicated rescuers were there. Chief Inspectorate Officer Steve Bennett said: “With almost one million calls for help every year, we rely on the support of animal-loving members of the public and other agencies like the fire service, police, and local rescues to save lives. By working together, we can create a kinder, better world for all animals.” The charity marked 2024 with some extraordinary rescues. In January, a deer in Lough, Lincolnshire, was freed after becoming stuck upside down between two walls. The delicate operation, involving ropes and poles, was aided by Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue. In March, a cat precariously perched 45ft up on a Huddersfield viaduct was rescued using a cherry picker, narrowly avoiding passing trains. April saw a dog in Sheffield freed from a metal fence by Animal Rescue Officer Liz Braidley, and a fox cub in Old Trafford, Manchester, saved from a 10cm-wide drainage pipe after a complex operation involving Quick Drains. Other standout cases included a fox cub in Wandsworth, London, who had its head stuck in a strawberry planter, and a waterlogged sheep pulled from the River Kent in Cumbria. In East Grinstead, West Sussex, a deer trapped in a tight gap behind a metal fence was released with the help of Surrey Fire & Rescue Service. Meanwhile, in June, a crow tangled in a plastic bag on an aerial in Swansea was rescued by RSPCA Cymru, and a swan that crash-landed on Leicester’s National Space Centre was safely returned to the wild. A peacock even required assistance in Durham! Notable feline rescues included a cat trapped between walls in Tooting Bec, London, freed with the help of the fire brigade, and another that fell into a storm tank at a sewage plant in Warwickshire. At St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, a Burmese cat named Paula was saved from an underground basement, which hadn’t been accessed for 25 years. Foxes featured prominently in 2024’s rescue stories. Two cubs fell through a skylight into an empty flat in Ramsgate, Kent, while another got its paws stuck in a garden chair in Surrey. One fox, trapped with its head in a London brick wall, was freed by Inspector Jade Guthrie and taken for further care. A glue trap ensnared a magpie in Leicester, highlighting the importance of England’s new ban on the devices. Among the year’s avian rescues, a buzzard trapped by its neck in a fence in County Durham was freed and treated, while a magpie caught in a glue trap in Leicester was saved and rehabilitated. These cases underscore the variety of challenges the RSPCA faces daily in its mission to protect animals. Throughout 2024, the RSPCA’s skilled rescuers, supported by the public and other agencies, have demonstrated their unwavering dedication to helping animals in distress. For those wishing to assist or report an animal in need, the charity provides detailed guidance on its website, www.rspca.org.uk/reportaconcern. Featuring: STAFFS Fox cub in pit Where: United Kingdom When: 27 Dec 2024 Credit: RSPCA/Cover Images **EDITORIAL USE ONLY. MATERIALS ONLY TO BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH EDITORIAL STORY. THE USE OF THESE MATERIALS FOR ADVERTISING, MARKETING OR ANY OTHER COMMERCIAL PURPOSE IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. MATERIAL COPYRIGHT REMAINS WITH STATED SUPPLIER.**