The terrible toll that discarded fishing litter can have on our wildlife has been highlighted once again following the death of a heron in South East London.
A member of the public called the RSPCA after spotting the distressed bird trying to fly at Lamorbey Park (The Glades) on 19 May.
Animal Rescue Officer Brian Milligan attended the scene and discovered the poor bird had a fishing line wrapped around him and was being pinned onto a log.
Brian said: “During the rescue he was sadly being attacked by coots. I caught him using my reach and rescue pole. After cutting the line from his feet I took him to RSPCA Mallydams Wood, and I was hopeful he’d make a full recovery. Sadly he had a dislocated hip and had to be put to sleep.
“I’m very grateful to the member of the public who reported this to us as the poor bird would have been in a lot of pain, and would have starved to death if we hadn’t rescued him.
“It just shows the harm caused by fishing litter. Once again, we plead with anglers to be responsible. Clear up after yourselves and take your litter home. This poor bird needlessly suffered and it could have been prevented”.
Veterinary surgeon Amy Colling treated the bird. She said: “The heron was weak and had difficulty standing. There were mild abrasions on both wings. He was given pain relief and fluids and by the end of the day he was standing but not fully extending its legs.The pain relief continued and he started eating. Following an x-ray we discovered he had dislocated its left hip (most likely when struggling to free himself) and because of this I took the decision to euthanase the bird to end his suffering”.
The RSPCA sees many animals arriving into its care with terrible injuries caused by angling litter such as discarded fishing line, hooks and plastic netting. Around 34% (751) of all litter-related calls to the RSPCA last year were about animals that had specifically become caught in fishing litter.
The RSPCA’s anti-litter campaign manager Carrie Stones said: “It’s distressing to see how our native wildlife is being affected by litter. Old fishing lines can cut deep into the flesh of water birds like swans, geese and ducks, affecting circulation and causing wounds to become seriously infected. We even see birds that have swallowed barbed fishing hooks. These hazards can very quickly become a matter of life or death for them and action is urgently needed to tackle this problem head-on. It’s up to every one of us to do our bit in the war against litter.”
The RSPCA says a majority of anglers are careful when fishing – but a small number are letting the community down by not disposing of their waste properly, and leaving animals in danger.
Carrie added: “The majority of anglers do dispose of their litter properly but it is frustrating that some don’t realise how dangerous it is to animals. Discarded line in particular is a terrible hazard for wildlife, particularly as it can be almost invisible.
“We strongly urge those who enjoy fishing to be extra cautious to make sure nothing is left behind. It only takes one piece of snagged line to be left in a tree or dropped near the water to endanger the life of an animal. We ask anglers to follow the Angling Trust Anglers Against Litter campaign and make use of recycling schemes to dispose of their waste tackle.”
When an animal is in need, the quicker they get help the better. By helping small sick and injured birds yourself it frees up our teams to focus their specialist skills on investigating cruelty and neglect, and reaching more victims who urgently need our help.
We’ve worked closely with Defra to create safety guidelines regarding the risk of bird flu for people who are happy to handle birds to get them the help they need quickly. We have lots of advice on our website to help the public to safely handle and transport a small animal in need.
By working together, we can all help more animals, more quickly. We’re grateful to all animal-lovers for helping to create a kinder world for every kind.
