A seagull left dangling from barbed wire on the roof of a Newport building has been rescued in a dramatic operation involving animal rescuers, firefighters and a local vet.
The injured bird, now nicknamed ‘Anthony’, was spotted by relatives of a volunteer from Friends of the Animals while they were sitting in a nearby café on Friday morning.
Looking across the road, they noticed the gull was still alive but suspended from barbed wire on the roof of a nearby building.
Volunteers from Friends of the Animals rushed to the scene and, after alerting staff inside the premises, were given access to the roof.
They found the distressed bird desperately struggling to free itself. One volunteer supported the gull to prevent it causing further injury or falling from the roof, while another attempted to cut through the heavy-duty barbed wire using hand cutters.
The tools proved no match for the wire, prompting a call to Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service for assistance.
Two firefighters quickly arrived with specialist cutting equipment and successfully freed the exhausted bird.
The gull has since been named ‘Anthony’ after one of the firefighters who helped save its life.
Anthony was taken straight to Wight Vets, where he received pain relief before undergoing X-rays. The scans revealed he had suffered a broken toe after becoming entangled in the wire, while one barb had pierced his wing.
Thankfully, vets confirmed there were no broken bones in the wing.
Following treatment, Anthony was transferred into the care of Skippers Sanctuary, where he is now recovering with antibiotics and ongoing pain relief.
Friends of the Animals has thanked everyone involved in the rescue, including the firefighters, Wight Vets, the staff who provided roof access and the family whose chance sighting led to Anthony being saved.
The charity is now appealing for donations to help cover Anthony’s rehabilitation costs, asking supporters to include his name when making a contribution via the Friends of the Animals website.
