Trash and Wildlife - Not a Good Mix

This forward ended up in my email inbox. Funny, the author intended it as a "cute story", though I find it a rather disgusting testament to the harm our trash causes to wildlife. PICK UP YOUR TRASH! Even what we don't think of as being dangerous is, as this story illustrates:

"Last night I was heading to the barn to do chores and I passed a wad of netting I had shoved up under this bush (yes I am one step removed from white trash). The netting had been on my cherry tree earlier to keep the birds from eating all the fruit, but the deer had pretty much shredded it so I took it off a while back. Anyway this wad of stuff was moving! So I took a closer look and there was a rat snake (not poisonous) tangled up in it. I thought that was a strange thing for him to do and he looked kinda stuck. So I decided if he was still there when I came back from the barn I would try to help him. After all, I should not have left that stuff there. It never occurred to me that is was a hazard for the wildlife. So when I came back up it was getting dark and the wad was still moving, snake still stuck. Sigh.
So I went in to fetch my hubby and got a broom, some scissors, and a big flashlight. We went out to the wad with the equipment and hubby held the broom down over the snake's head so I could cut the netting off him. At first he struggled and his head kept getting free, so we'd have to stop and reposition the broom. But then I swear he seemed able to tell we were helping him. As I cut the strands away from his body, scissors right up against his skin, he lay perfectly still. Every once in a while his tail would lash a little. Who knows, maybe hubby was cutting off his oxygen with the broom. But I don't think so. The netting was really tangled and he had gotten it wound tight around his body. I think he was trying to crawl through and his head fit, but then the wider part of his body got stuck. The more he tried to go forward, the tighter it got until it was almost cutting into him. I think when he would try to back up the scales would raise up and get caught on the netting. Poor fellow! When I cut the last strands and hubby moved the broom away he hesitated for a moment, then wound rapidly up the tree. He was so happy to be free!
So I did my good deed for the day...rectifying the mess I caused by leaving my trash lying around. Thank goodness hubby was brave with the broom!"