RSPCA rescue Canada goose being strangled by a rope in Calderdale canal

The panicked cries of the bird and his mate alerted a concerned resident to the plight of the goose and she called the RSPCA for help.

Animal rescuer RSPCA Inspector Kris Walker said: “The goose and his mate - who was on the other side of the Rochdale Canal - were really distressed. The poor bird couldn’t move - the rope was so tightly wrapped around his neck that he was virtually tethered to the spot.

“My immediate concern was that the fibres had cut into his neck and caused an open wound.

"However, when I got a close look at him I was relieved to see that although the old rope was very tight and there was no way he would have been able to escape on his own, he didn’t have any injuries. Happily, I was able to cut the rope away from him and he was straight off across the canal to rejoin his worried mate.

“This incident had a happy ending but it could have been very different. Litter causes such needless and unnecessary suffering to animals.

"We regularly see cases where animals are wounded by litter or even fatally injured by it - such as swans in fishing line, gulls in netting, hedgehogs with elastic bands cutting into their bodies and mallards with their beaks stuck in fizzy drinks cans.

"If members of the public see discarded litter we would encourage them to pick it up safely and put it in the bin, remembering to wash their hands after. Their action could save an animal’s life.”

The RSPCA’s frontline officers are regularly called to help cats, birds and other wildlife who have got themselves tangled in netting, injured in fishing litter or stuck in rubbish.

Over the past five years (2015-2019), the RSPCA’s emergency hotline in England and Wales has received 6,466 calls about animals affected by general litter - from tin cans and plastic bottles to elastic bands and netting. There have also been 15,183 reports relating to animals injured or caught in angling litter. .

If you’re concerned about the welfare of an animal please contact the RSPCA’s emergency hotline on 0300 1234 999.