By Izzy Hawksworth

THE RSPCA has revealed some of its wackiest animal rescues of the year - including saving a swan in Fowey from a world famous recording studio and a cat from a mineshaft in Callington.

Pictures show hapless pets and wild animals trapped in bizarre places such as car wheels, canals and car parks before being saved by baffled rescuers.

The charity has compiled 21 of the oddest rescues of 2023, with the weirdest being an iguana called Einstein who had to be rescued from a tree.

The reptile escaped from his home in Horncastle in May last year after he followed his family's feline through a cat flap.

He had been on the run for over a day when he was spotted 12m (39ft) high in a tree in a nearby neighbour's garden.

The RSPCA was called to the scene and requested the assistance of the fire crew - but Einstein was sat on a flimsy branch which made it difficult to reach him by ladder.

Tree surgeon, Todd Wilson, was then called and he was able to climb up the tree, pull Einstein towards him, place him in a box and bring him down.

In July, RSPCA Inspector Paul Kempson was called to Sawmills Studio in Fowey - where Oasis, Muse, The Stone Roses and Jessie J have recorded music.

He was asked to rescue an injured swan, but as the studio is only accessible by boat, Paul had to make a journey up the river to save him.

A cat called Mowgli also had to be rescued from a 30m mine shaft in Callington after he had fallen to the bottom.

After a tricky rescue, Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service made it to the bottom of the mine to help Mowgli back to the surface. 

After a visit to the local vets, the cat was given the all clear, was reunited with his furry sibling and was very happy to see his owner.

Stephen said: "The owner had been missing the cat for four days and was constantly brought to the location by her dog, as it sniffed the cat out.

"This is when the owner heard the calls from Mowgli and alerted us."

A two-metre long snake was helped to safety in September after it was found in a car park in Plymouth.

Luckily, the boa constrictor was rescued by volunteer Dawn Lapthorn and was taken to a specialist reptile centre.

Several foxes caused mayhem and had to be rescued this year - including a cub that got his head stuck between a fence post and a loose fence panel.

Luckily, he was rescued by animal rescue officer Jade Guthrie in Teddington, London, and was released back into the wild unharmed in May.

Another cub had been rescued by the charity just a month later, after he had discarded litter around his neck for three weeks.

While an adult fox managed to wedge both his front and back end in a gate at a house in Sutton, South London.

RSPCA animal rescue officer Louis Horton was able to cut the fox free and he ran off back into the wild through the back garden of the property.

Another fox was helped by the animal charity after he got his head stuck in a car wheel outside a storage yard in New Malden, London.

Luckily he was rescued by animal rescue officer Sam Matthews and was released into the wild near where he was found just three days later.

Sam said: “The poor fox had almost given up and was resigned to his fate. 

"The tyre had only been put there the night before, but he was quite exhausted.

"I think the young fox was just being inquisitive - he was possibly looking for some food hiding under there."

Another fox had to be rescued by the charity after he managed to get himself tightly entwined in plant-support netting in a garden in Hertfordshire.

Animal rescue officer, Jane Folly, who helped him free, said: "This poor chap had got himself completely entwined in some garden netting. 

"His struggles to free himself had only tightened the netting around him. 

"I needed to free him as soon as possible as he had been trapped there all night.

"This entanglement incident thankfully had a happy ending, but it could have been very different."