A fox has been found dead in a Lanarkshire town from horrific injuries caused by wearing a collar.
The grim discovery was made in a garden on Rosebank Avenue in Blantyre, south Lanarkshire on Wednesday, December 16.
A member of the public spotted the wild animal with a khaki, nylon strap around its neck and raised the alarm.
Animal welfare chiefs say a friction injury and an open wound caused by the collar killed the fox.
An investigation is now underway as the Scottish SPCA (SSPCA) appeal for information into the grim find.
SSPCA inspector, Sian Robertson, said: "The fox was found wearing what looks like a collar of some sort as if someone has put it on the fox.
"Although it can't be proven, it seems as if someone has possibly put this round the fox's neck - perhaps when it was a cub.
"The injury is very similar to that of a cat which has caught its front leg through its collar, and the friction then causes a wound.
"The subsequent injury inflicted on the fox due to the collar is horrific and would have caused the fox significant pain and suffering.
"We would urge the public to remember that foxes are wild animals and should be left alone and admired from a distance unless they are visibly injured or in distress, in which case the public should call our animal helpline."
