RSPCA saves fox with head stuck in watering can in Essex

A fox which got her head stuck inside a watering can while looking for something to eat or drink has been rescued by the RSPCA.

A member of the public spotted the animal getting into difficulty in Braiswick, near Colchester in Essex on Friday.

He called the animal rescue charity after seeing the fox thrashing about with the plastic can on its head in his garden.

Animal rescue officer Natalie Read said: "The caller said the poor fox was clearly distressed.

"I suspect she got the watering can stuck on her head after investigating to see whether there was anything to eat or drink inside.

"She must have been exhausted because I was able to catch her easily and carefully prise the can off her head.

"Thankfully she wasn't injured and she was raring to go so I released her and she bounded off back into the safety of the undergrowth.

"She was lucky to be spotted and rescued so quickly because she could have suffered serious cuts and injuries to her head, or may have even died if she'd have been left like that."

The curious creature is not the first to have got into a spot of trouble in unusual circumstances.

In Norwich, the RSPCA was called out to a house in December after a cat was found shut in a cupboard when a new family moved in.

The black cat, who was named Mistletoe, was found by new homeowners just before Christmas. The RSPCA launched an appeal last month to try and find her a forever home.