With World Cup fever sweeping the UK, back gardens have become makeshift football pitches.
Mini football goals are popping up on lawns and beside flowerbeds as children practise penalties, imagining they're Harry Kane and replay their favourite moments from the tournament.
But once the match is over, the RSPCA is urging families to pack away their football goal nets, warning they can pose a deadly risk to hedgehogs, fox cubs and other garden wildlife.
Why football goal nets become deadly traps
Summer's when young wildlife gets curious. Fox cubs are out exploring, play-fighting, and learning about their surroundings. Hedgehogs trundle through gardens on their nightly rounds. Rabbits bolt across lawns. All of them can wander straight into an unsecured net.
That loose netting can quickly become a trap. Once caught, animals instinctively struggle to escape, often tightening the mesh around their neck, legs or body. Animals can suffer severe cuts, strangulation, broken bones or stress-related injuries, and some die before they're found.
RSPCA rescues show the dangers of football goal nets
The charity says its officers have recently attended several incidents involving animals becoming trapped in football netting as more families set up goal nets in their gardens during the tournament.
What to Read Next
In Surrey, a fallow buck became heavily entangled in football netting at a property in Caterham. He was discovered struggling in the garden by a decorator while the owners were away. RSPCA Animal Rescue Officers freed him safely, but the rescue showed how quickly these situations can become life-threatening for wild animals.
As Officer Marie Stevens explained, "Deer are particularly susceptible to stress and, in many cases, tragically do not survive for very long after being trapped due to stress-induced muscle breakdown."
In London, Officer Ellie Barnes-Wilson was called to rescue two young fox cubs after they became tangled in goal netting while exploring a garden.
"The netting was extremely tight around their little bodies," she said. "They were lucky to still be so bright and alert." Both cubs had bruising and swelling around their necks and legs caused by the tight netting and needed treatment at a wildlife hospital before they could recover.
How to make World Cup season safer for garden wildlife
- Put nets away as soon as play is over
- Never leave loose netting on the ground overnight. Store them away between uses.
- Check your football net for holes, loose strands or tangled sections before each game.
- If you find an animal trapped, don't try to pull it free or cut the net without advice, as this could worsen its injuries. Contact the RSPCA or a local wildlife rescue for help.
As well as packing away football nets, the RHS recommends checking gardens for other hazards, such as loose string, plastic or discarded packaging, which can also pose a risk to wildlife.
Garden decor
Everlight Blooms The Riverlight Kingfisher – Glass‑Winged Bird Resting on a Leafed Stem
Haywards Garden Butterfly Puddler Set
Lily Faith Fox Small Wreath
Staycation Vintage Parasols Powder Parlour-Celadon Veil 1.85m Parasol
Handmade Sussex Large Summer Handmade Dried Flower Wreath - 70cm
