Birds and Fishing Hooks

This is one of those stories we hate to share, but happen all too often. This poor Canada goose was captured at Julia Davis Park by one of our dedicated volunteers. It’s most likely been living with this fishing line wrapped around its leg since it was a gosling, the leg grew and the fishing line didn’t. The goose had to be humanely euthanized because of irreversible nerve damage and a severe infection in it’s foot.

When you are out fishing and enjoying nature, please leave nothing behind! We see cases like this all the time and most of them don’t end well. Please pick up your fishing line or any loose fishing line you see laying around.

This poor Mallard was tangled up in this fishing lure and line. She had one hook in her side and one through her foot with the line wrapped all around her leg. Such a sad and preventable situation!

Thankfully someone caught her and brought her to the Ruth Melichar Bird Center. We were able to remove the hooks and treat the wounds. After some antibiotics, she was successful released!

Please don’t leave fishing line behind! We see an alarming number of cases like this and most don’t end well.

We also once received a goose with an arrow still lodged in it.