Swan injured in Widnes after getting fishing hook stuck in her neck
RSPCA urging people to dispose of fishing litter properly
The RSPCA is urging people to dispose of fishing litter properly after a swan had to be rescued when she got a fishing hook stuck in her neck.
The swan was spotted by members of the public at Spike Island, in Widnes, on Monday (23 May) with the triple-barbed pike hook stuck in her throat.
RSPCA inspector Louise Showering said: “We managed to catch the swan and take her immediately to a vets.
“Thankfully, the tackle had not done too much damage and she was rescued in time – but this could have been a very different story, as sadly we do see many incidents where animals have not been so lucky after getting fishing hooks and tackle stuck in their throats or getting tangled up in discarded fishing litter, dying a horrible death.
“It is very frustrating as this could have been so easily been avoided if someone had disposed of their fishing hook correctly in the first place.
“Although most anglers do clean up after themselves, fishing litter is still a major problem and it is so damaging to wildlife. Please remember to take home any litter if you go fishing – discarded lines and hooks can easily snag water birds and other wildlife, causing terrible injuries and suffering.
“All it takes is a little thought and care and an animal’s life could be saved.”