THE RSPCA have urged anglers to clean up their discarded litter after a local swan was severely hurt on Barden Lake.
The bird was noticed to be struggling as it appeared to be entangled in a fishing line with a hook wrapped around its beak.
It took a team of onlookers to coax the suffering swan onto land. On examination, two hooks were found with five of their barbs, attached to a fishing weight, embedded in its left wing.
Fortunately, the vet managed to remove the hooks and after a course of antibiotics and some rest, the swan was returned to the lake two weeks later.
However, speaking to the Times last week, RSPCA Animal Collection Officer Louis Horton revealed incidents such as these were commonplace. He said: “We always urge people to dispose properly of their fishing litter. Every year, the RSPCA receives thousands of calls relating to animals that are tangled in fishing line or have injuries from fishing litter.
“Please do remember to take any unwanted fishing line home and cut it into pieces before throwing it away. And if you spot any discarded fishing litter while out and about, you can do your bit to help protect animals by disposing of it.”
