Stag entangled with discarded plastic
3 August 2018
A stag in South Uist is at risk after discarded plastic binding was caught around its head and throat.
The animal was photographed in Stoneybridge by an islander who was alarmed by the “shroud of plastic around its head.”
Strands of man-
While the harm from marine rubbish has been regularly highlighted recently, plastic waste is also causing damage to countryside wildlife and the rural environment.
David Maclennan, Outer Hebrides area manager for Scottish Natural Heritage, voiced concern for the stag “especially the way it looks quite tight around the head and neck.”
He explained: “As the stag turns into a rutting stag in September / October the neck swells considerably – so I could see that being a serious problem for it.”
Mr Maclennan highlighted plastic pollution is a growing problem across the Western Isles.
Mr Maclennan said thrown away “plastic binding” is “horrendous” when animals get entangled in it.
Stags are particularly at risk because of the way they forage on the ground for food.
Their antlers often pick up debris which can end up as a “ball of plastic” above their heads.
There is also a “high risk of death” for deer snagged in old rope, netting or unwanted fencing not disposed off properly, he added.
His advice is for people spotting a tangled deer is to contact the land owner or SSPCA.
A spokesman for estate landlord Stòras Uibhist said a gamekeeper would go and help any deer in trouble if they were made aware.