The "craziest" rescue of a trapped feline at a housing care scheme, helping a clifftop-loving seal pup and freeing a frustrated badger are the highlights of the RSPCA's work in Norfolk last year.
The RSPCA has published a list of what it calls its top rescues for the eastern region in 2022.
The list of five rescues features three from Norfolk involving a cat, a seal pup and a badger being saved in unusual incidents.
The purrfect rescue for trapped cat
It took rescuers a week to reach a trapped cat who got himself stuck down a 12ft void in a housing care site which was impossible to access.
The trapped feline was first discovered after the family of a tenant at the Meadows, a housing with care scheme run by NorseCare, in Bowthorpe, Norwich, heard the cat’s meows on June 13 and raised the alarm.
Dyno-Rod used camera equipment to find him and finally RSPCA rescuers Jason Finch and Paige Burnham were able to help reach him through a hole in the floor.
Mr Finch said: “This was the craziest, most frustrating and most rewarding rescue of a cat I have had to do in my 22-year career at the RSPCA.
"Thank you to everyone who was involved in the rescue - everyone just wanted to get him out and nobody was going to give up.”
Nemo, who had been missing, was eventually reunited with his relieved owners.
Seal of approval for RSPCA rescuer
The RSPCA were called in after a seal pup was found alone at the top of a cliff at Weybourne.
The RSPCA's Amy Pellegrini went to Weybourne on January 4 after a member of the public spotted the pup on the clifftop 50ft from the beach near a brick wartime pillbox.
She said: “I was quite surprised to find this seal so far up - he must have just taken a wrong turn and then followed the coastal path before ending up on the cliff edge.”
Trapped badger tale had happy ending
A feisty badger needed a helping hand after getting trapped in a narrow gap between a wall and a fence.
RSPCA rescuer Ben Kirby went to Reepham on February 26 after the stricken badger was found.
Mr Kirby said: “I think he had been trapped there for at least eight hours, as a neighbour’s dog had started barking frantically at around 4am.
"It was clear he had tried digging himself out, as there was the start of a hole dug under the fence, but that didn’t work.”
Luckily Mr Kirby and the neighbours were able to remove a fence panel and catch the badger and put him into a portable kennel. He was then checked and released back into the countryside nearby.
Other rescues and an RSPCA plea
The two other rescues on the list were both in Essex.
A vixen found herself in a pickle when she got a watering can stuck on her head while searching for food and water in Colchester.
Then a woman was in for a shock when she woke up to find a 3ft-long snake slithering in through her open bedroom window at her home in Basildon.
Dermot Murphy, RSPCA inspectorate commissioner from the animal charity’s frontline rescuers, said: “With our teams out rescuing animals from danger and suffering 365 days a year, we are often their only hope.
"It’s an honour to be able to lend a hand to animals in desperate need and we hope people enjoy seeing some of the weird and wonderful places animals have found themselves in need of our help.
“This winter we’re asking people to show their support by joining the rescue to help us raise funds to make sure we can continue to be there for animals in need.”
To support the RSPCA visit its website - www.rspca.org.uk
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