A terrified woman called a specially-trained animal hunter to catch a poisonous salamander in her home – which turned out to be a toy.
RSPCA inspector Paul Seddon rushed to the second-floor flat in Bilston, West Midlands, after the frantic homeowner spotted the creature on her Juliet balcony.
But when he approached the amphibian and got a better look, he discovered it was in fact a child’s cuddly toy complete with a label.
It is thought the 12-inch long critter was either thrown onto the balcony by children playing below or fell from the property above.
Mr Seddon said: “I was quite intrigued having never come across this kind of amphibian before during my career.
“I went over to the balcony and when I looked through the window I could see the salamander – and could see it was a soft toy complete with label.
“The woman seemed shocked to find out it was only a toy but relieved at the same time and was very apologetic.”
It is not the first time Mr Seddon has been called out to rescue an animal that turned out to be something completely different.
“I remember one job when I was called to rescue a bat – but it turned out to be a moth,” he said.
“I also got called to a trapped seagull in a hedge, which turned out to be a carrier bag.
“Then on one occasion I was called out to a field to try to locate an injured Friesian cow but couldn’t find it.
“The following day the man who reported it said he had been for a second look and it was in fact an old white bath in a field and the black marks were where the enamel had fallen off.”
Other strange rescues include the RSPCA being called out to rescue a lizard in Coventry that turned out to be an old sock.
Rescuers were also called to help a horse that was tied to the back of a trailer by its legs but it was actually a fake plastic model.
A collection officer was called to help an injured heron in a garden in Leeds, which was actually a broken garden ornament.
In Alresford, Hampshire, inspectors scrambled to a family home after reports of a giant spider under the stairs that was a plastic toy.
And in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, inspectors were called out to help four sheep caught in brambles that turned out to be six white balloons.
