Bird rescued after week spent with disposable face mask tangled around legs

A gull has been rescued after it became trapped for about a week by a disposable face mask tangled around its feet, raising concerns that discarded PPE could pose a threat to Britain's wildlife amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The bird was first spotted struggling to walk in Chelmsford, Essex, by staff in a local car showroom. When they tried to approach the animal to help it, the gull flew off.

By Saturday, the showroom staff had become "increasingly concerned" about the animal's condition and contacted the RSPCA, an officer for the charity said.

"He’d been sat in the same spot for hours and didn’t appear to be moving," RSPCA inspector Adam Jones said.

“I went out to catch him and when he tried to hop away he would stumble and fall.

“As soon as I caught him it was clear to see why as the poor thing had a disposable Covid face mask tangled around both legs.”

The bird was later taken to South Essex Wildlife Hospital, in Grays, where the mask was cut off.

“It’s clear the mask was there for some time and the elastic straps had tightened around his legs as his joints were swollen and sore,” said Mr Jones.

“Thankfully, he’s been doing well and is being monitored closely.

“They’ve now released him out into an aviary with other gulls and, when the group is ready, they’ll all be released together."

Mr Jones also urged people to responsibly dispose of any personal protective equipment they might be using amid the Covid-19 crisis, warning it poses a risk to animals.

“I’m concerned that this gull could be the first of many victims now that face masks are the norm," he said.

“I’d appeal to all members of the public to ensure they dispose of their face masks and disposable gloves - and all other types of litter - properly and responsibly, so that animals don’t get hurt.”

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