A swan was rescued from the banks of an Isle of Wight river earlier this week after becoming entangled in a discarded fishing hook and line.
The incident on the River Medina was first highlighted via a local Facebook group, where concerns were raised about a lone swan unable to follow the rest of its group back onto the river.
On arrival, rescuers found the swan with fishing tackle attached to its foot. The hook and line were carefully removed, and fortunately, no infection had set in. The swan was able to walk back to the river and safely re-join the others.
Local rescuers are now urging anglers to take extra care when handling fishing equipment and to ensure no tackle is left behind, as it poses a serious threat to local wildlife.
A spokesperson from Friends of the Animals has said:
“We would like to urge those using fishing tackle to be mindful of the threats they cause to wildlife.”
Anglers should take more care when fishing,
poor swan.