With the year at an end, the RSPCA has revealed the strangest and most surprising animals rescues they've been called to in Kent this year.

In 2021, 281,390 incidents were reported to the charity’s frontline teams via its emergency hotline in the South East. Luckily, they all had happy endings.

Animal quackers!

A fox cub found himself in a fix after getting stuck fast inside a metal duck-shaped planter!

RSPCA animal rescue officer, Brian Milligan, was called to Faversham, on April, 13.

He said: “Fox cubs are incredibly inquisitive and that does mean they end up in rather strange situations sometimes.

"This poor little cub had got himself wedged inside a metal wire, duck-shaped planter in someone’s garden!

"It took a while to cut him free and his mum was nowhere to be seen so we took him to our wildlife centre nearby to be reared before being released when he’s old enough.”

Robin bounces back

A robin, who tried to join in the fun, ended up in a bit of a pickle after getting stuck beneath a sunken trampoline in a play park in Tonbridge on July 26.

Rescuer, Kirsten Ormerod, was called in to help free the little bird.

A local council worker helped Kirsten to access the hole and catch the robin who quickly flew off back to his nest.

Caught red-pawed!

A cheeky squirrel was caught red-pawed helping himself to the nuts for the birds after getting stuck inside a bird feeder cage, made to stop the squirrels.

Rescuer, Claire Thomas, was called out to Ashford, on August 7, to help the stricken squirrel.

She said: “The little so and so had managed to get inside the bars and was helping himself to the nuts!

He was still trying to chomp on the peanut as I freed him. He wasn’t injured so I set him free and he scampered off back into the garden.”

Everyone needs good neigh-bours

A stallion who was desperate to reach his neighbours got himself in an embarrassing spot after getting stuck straddling a gate.

Rescuer, Tina Nash, was called to a field in Rochester, on August 10, after passing walkers spotted his plight.

She said: “He was trying to get to the mares but obviously isn’t the greatest showjumper and got himself stuck halfway!

"He could have walked along the fenceline a little further to see his lady friends!”

A crew from Kent Fire and Rescue Service came to help winch the skewbald from the gate and release him back into his paddock.

Oh deer, oh deer, oh deer!

A silly deer ran into a fence and got stuck fast three times as rescuers battled to free her and release her safely to the wild.

Rescuer, Grace Harris-Bridge, was called to the Tunbridge Wells garden on September 9, after spotting the deer stuck between metal railings.

She was able to push her through but, in a panic, the frightened deer ran off and got stuck in another section of fencing and then did the same a third time!

Grace said: “She was really panicked and I didn’t want to take any further chances so I enlisted the help of a neighbour who very kindly kept hold of her head and neck while I freed her.

"With two pairs of hands we were able to keep hold of her to check her over for any injuries.”

They carried her to a neighbouring field and released her there where she darted off into the undergrowth.

Night on the rep-tiles!

A runaway lizard prompted a major rescue mission after he slipped out of his enclosure, climbed out of a window, scaled the outside wall of his terraced home and settled in to sunbathe on the roof.

RSPCA inspector, David Grant, was called to Folkestone Harbour on September 27, to help the naughty lizard.

David said: “It’s the first time I’ve ever been called out to rescue an iguana, particularly one on the loose on a roof.

"As it was so high up, I called Kent Fire and Rescue who were able to provide their expertise and equipment to help get the lizard down safely.

"We didn’t want him to run off by frightening him unnecessarily, so we used my drop-net to capture him and we soon had him back on the ground.”

He was reunited with his owners who will now be taking extra steps to make sure he can’t escape to heights again!

Surprissssse!

A man cooking dinner had quite the shock when a little snake slithered out from underneath his microwave!

Surprised, he called the RSPCA for help and rescuer, Clive Hopwood, went to the home in Edenbridge, on October 20, to collect him.

Clive said: “A vet checked the corn snake over and I took him to South Essex Wildlife Hospital for care.

“I expect he’s an escaped pet so hopefully we’ll be able to reunite him with his owner!”

Purr-fect rescue

Rescuers from the RSPCA, police and fire service came to the rescue of a cat who got stuck 60ft high on a ledge above Ramsgate Tunnel.

The ginger cat was rescued on October 23, after firefighters abseiled down to him and passed him to rescuer, Clive Hopwood, on an aerial platform, to carry to safety.

Clive said: “The cat was in a really perilous predicament on a small ledge around 60ft from the ground.

"He was around 10ft down from the top so we believe he fell from the higher ground and got stuck on the ledge.”

The missing moggy, Jinks, was reunited with his owner, Kim Abraham, just a few days later.

She said: “We had a lot of sleepless nights, we were so worried about him. We’re so relieved to have him back.”

The RSPCA is the only charity out on the frontline rescuing animals from all sorts of situations 365 days a year.

To help rescuers be there for the animals in need this winter, click here.