Another seal has been rushed to the RSPCA after it became entangled in netting off the Norfolk coast.

%image(14659658, type="article-full", alt="The Friends of Horsey Seals rescued Gypsy last Sunday. Picture: Friends of Horsey Seals")

Gypsy was exhausted and had a severe wound around her neck when she was found at Somerton on Sunday (July 14) by community group, the Friends of Horsey Seals.

The grey seal was taken to the RSPCA's East Winch Wildlife Centre near Kings Lynn and weighed just 40kgs when she was found. She is thought to be one of last year's grey seal pups.

Vets at the centre gave the seal antibiotics and painstakingly removed the netting from around her neck. According to vets, the wound is around one inch deep.

She is now being cared for by the RSPCA and is having daily salt baths, eating by herself and is receiving medication with her food.

%image(14659659, type="article-full", alt="Friends of Horsey Seals described the wound as "horrific". Picture: David Vyse")

This comes just weeks after seal, Sir David was released back into the wild after he was caught in a plastic flying ring at Horsey Beach and was severely wounded.

Sue Levings from the RSPCA East Winch Wildlife Centre, said: "It's really disheartening that only a couple of weeks since we released Sir David, a seal with a similar injury caused by a frisbee, we now have another injured seal.

"The injury this time has been caused by some kind of rope type netting which has started to disintegrate, but some of the fibres were embedded in her poor neck. Once again it has been caused by discarded rubbish in our seas.

"We are so grateful to the rescuers who managed to catch her and bring her to the centre, she's receiving treatment and regular salt baths, and the fact she is eating on her own is a very good sign.

%image(14659660, type="article-full", alt="The grey seal is believed to be a pup from last year. Picture: Friends of Horsey Seals")

"But like the other seals with these types of injuries, this will be a long road to recovery for her."

A spokesman for Friends of Horsey Seals said: "The wound was horrific with a deep cut round her entire neck and the nylon strands of rope were still embedded. Attached to this was what appeared to be the remains of some kind of netting."

Earlier this year, the RSPCA revealed harmful incidents involving plastic waste had substantially increased since 2015.

In Norfolk, the figure had risen from 11 cases to a staggering 34 last year, accounting for more than half of all litter incidents where animals were harmed.

%image(14659661, type="article-full", alt="When she was rescued, she only weighed 40kgs. Picture: Contributed by Kim Mercer")