An exotic animal specialist was called out to catch a salamander, only to be confronted with a child’s toy.
RSPCA inspector Paul Seddon dashed to the flat after a frantic call from a woman who spotted what she believed was a lizard-like amphibian on the balcony.
He found the householder cowering in the living room, but he soon saw she was hiding from a harmless cuddly lobster.
Paul said of Friday’s incident in Bilston, West Mids: “I was quite intrigued having never come across this kind of amphibian during my career.
“I went over to the balcony and I could see it was a soft toy complete with label. So instead of getting any equipment out to capture the creature, I borrowed a brush to knock it off on to the ground.
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"The woman seemed shocked to find out it was only a toy but relieved at the same time and was very apologetic.”
Paul has previously been called out to a bat that turned out to be a moth and an injured cow that was an old white bath.
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The RSPCA urged callers to “stop and think” before asking for help. Other silly incidents include being asked to rescue a lizard – actually an old sock. A horse tied to a trailer by its leg turned out to be a plastic model.
An injured heron was a garden ornament, while reports of a giant spider under the stairs ended up being another toy.
Perhaps the daftest call was to four sheep stuck in brambles - a bunch of white balloons.
