Stag snared in bag shows why Plastic Pick Up is so vital

IT is a pitiful sight on such a majestic creature and a stark example of Britain’s plastic blight.

This wild stag with a black bag entwined around its antlers is just one reason to join the Mail’s Great Plastic Pick Up from May 11 to 13.

By yesterday, 1,202 people had signed up, while 137 events had been planned to help combat the tide of litter.

Red deer stags, which have been dubbed the Monarch of the Glen, are the country’s largest native wild mammal. This one was pictured at a sanctuary in Baronsdown, Somerset, run by the league Against Cruel Sports. The

‘They can’t escape and it can prove fatal’

plastic is believed to be part of discarded silage wrap from a nearby farm.

Paul Tillsley, the charity’s head of conservation, said becoming entangled in litter can sometimes be deadly for the animals.

‘Stags in particular get their antlers caught up in all sorts of rubbish in the countryside,’ he said. ‘There’s lots of it floating around in the country.

‘But we do get cases of deer getting caught up in plastic – they can’t escape – and it can prove fatal.’

The photo has prompted calls from the league for farms to make better use of plastic recycling services or for biodegradable materials to be used instead.

Director of campaigns Chris luffingham said: ‘Photos like this hit home how we need to cut back on plastic materials.’