Pictured: RSPCA inspector Gary with the hedgehog he rescued from a drain in Hull, East Yorkshire.

Charity attended thousands of incidents over the year.

As the RSPCA welcomes in a new year, the charity has shared some of its most poignant and unusual rescues in 2022 to let supporters know how their support has helped animals over the last year.

One unique rescue took place in Bristol on 2 January 2023, when a ill seal pup – appropriately named Nacho – made his way to the Old Lock and Weir pub in Keynsham. With puncture wounds on his flippers, the six-month-old seal was taken in by the RSPCA, and rehabilitated back up to an ideal weight.

Another rescue that the charity shared took place in Peckham, London, when a fox was spotted sleeping on a doormat for sale in B&Q. The RSPCA was called to remove the fox from his sleeping place, and it was found he was suffering from mange, so he was transported to South Essex Wildlife Hospital.

In the West Midlands, a cat gave birth in the guttering of a house. The family living there called for help, and the team were able to safely get the mother and kittens down and into RSPCA care.

On 31 July, a 5ft snake was found slithering around McDonalds in Bognor Regis – obviously on the hunt for a Big Mac – he was identified as a boa constrictor. When the RSPCA picked him up, he has scratches and cuts on his body, so was taken to Stubbington Ark Animal Centre for care.

Rescuers from East Yorkshire had prickly business trying to remove a hedgehog stuck down a drain. RSPCA inspector Gary discussed the incident: “It was great teamwork which enabled us to successfully rescue the hedgehog. 

“It involved a little bit of gentle persuasion and the use of some BBQ tongs to carefully ease him out of the drain. We checked him over but thankfully he wasn’t injured so he could then be released back into the wild later that day. 

“The open drain has also been reported to the council to ensure this doesn’t happen to any other animals.”

One of the more unusual cases occurred in November, when RSPCA inspector Sarah Morris received a call about an eel discovered on a doorstep in Plymouth. She explained: “This was not your usual type of animal rescue call. 

“The eel had been found by the back door of a property in the city. At first I thought it must be a slow worm because of the location but from speaking to the caller it became clear it really was an eel. 

“On arrival, I went to the back garden and found a pink child's paddling pool where the finder had kindly placed the eel until I arrived. In 24 years of being an Inspector, I’ve never had a call about an eel out of water! 

“After seeking advice from the team at RSPCA West Hatch Wildlife Centre, I removed the eel and put it in a small fish tank and transported it safely to the nearest estuary where the eel was released. How it got there is a mystery but the most likely reason would have been that it was dropped there by a heron or other such bird.”

Image (C) RSPCA