Swan reunited with family in St Helens after fishing hook injury
A fishing hook had gone into the bird's neck, she was also tangled in the line.
Last updated 18th Jan 2023
A swan has been reunited with her family in St Helens, after narrowly escaping an injury caused by discarded fishing litter.
The female bird had also become entangled in around four feet (1.2 metres) of fishing line, which had to be cut off from around her body.
The dangers of carelessly discarded fishing tackle are being highlighted by the RSPCA after a hook became embedded in the neck of a swan on Eccleston Mere in St Helens.
RSPCA inspector Leanne Cooper was called to the lake on Sunday (15 January) after the animal welfare charity had been contacted by a concerned couple whose garden backs onto the lake and is visited daily by the family of swans.
The officer was able to catch her and carefully cut off the fishing line. Although the hook had pierced the swan’s neck, it had thankfully not caused her serious injury.
After consulting the team at the RSPCA’s Stapeley Grange Wildlife Hospital in Cheshire, and giving the swan a thorough check up, Leanne was able to re-release her back onto the water to rejoin her waiting family.
She said: “Even though the hook had gone right into her neck and needed careful extraction, it hadn’t caused a serious injury, so she was very lucky. We deal with a worrying amount of incidents every year where animals have been terribly impacted by litter and they’re the ones that we know about as many incidents will go unseen or unreported.
“Carelessly discarded fishing line, hooks and netting can have a terrible toll on animals, and water birds like the swan at this lake, are particularly vulnerable. The majority of anglers do dispose of these items properly, but it’s frustrating that those who don’t, may not realise the danger they pose.”
The RSPCA strongly urges those who enjoy fishing to be extra cautious to make sure nothing is left behind. It only takes one piece of snagged line to get caught up in a tree or dropped near the water to endanger the life of an animal.
The charity encourages everyone who enjoys fishing to follow the Angling Trust Take 5 campaign and make use of recycling schemes to dispose of their waste tackle safely and responsibly.
If members of the public see discarded litter the RSPCA encourages them to pick it up safely and put it in the bin, remembering to wash their hands after. Their actions could save an animal’s life.