Cardiff received the highest number of calls in Wales to attend injured animals due to rubbish , according the RSPCA.
It’s calling on people to be more responsible and to discard of their waste properly.
Many of the calls to the charity are to animals found severely injured, trapped, mutilated, or even dead.
According to the organisation the rubbish is not only being eaten by the animals but also plastics and cans are becoming trapped around their mouths or necks.
The statistics are no surprise to people living along the Taff in Riverside who said the increase in litter was a threat to the local wildlife. One man claimed people have even dumped their food waste along the edge of the water.
Local resident, Rodrigo said: “I don’t think it is going to be too long before we start finding dead birds with plastic inside them, like you see in the news.”
Eileen Donovan said: “I have definitely noticed an increase…it is having quite a big impact. People just need to pick up their rubbish and bin it.”
In an interview with CJS News, Gill Hillan the RSPCA’s press officer in Wales argued a problem like this is easily preventable, but still persists.
She said: “It’s not just something looking untidy on the floor, it is harming wildlife…everyone has a responsibility to clean up after themselves.”
The RSPCA is urging people “to create a better world for every animal”. They have asked for anyone who finds a sick or injured wild animal to take it to the vets, so they can get help quickly.