A beautiful day of fishing turned into a wildlife rescue for a family in Brazil. While out boating on the Paranaíba River, in the central Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, the boaters spotted a strange shape hanging from a tree branch in the water. When Lara, Marcio, and Priscilla got closer they saw that it was a wild heron dangling from some fishing line that had gotten caught in its beak.
The bird had likely been fishing itself and unluckily chewed on the thrown away fishing tackle. “Watching the animal trapped and tired of trying to survive, we stopped the boat and saved it,” the trio wrote on YouTube.
The heron’s beak was firmly trapped shut by the fishing line. It is clear while watching Marcio free the bird that the heron would most certainly have died hanging from that branch because it takes Marcio some time to cut the bird free. But thank goodness they were in the right place at the right time.
Many coastal birds and marine mammals are injured or killed because of improperly disposed of recreational fishing lines and hooks and tackle. As this video shows, it’s critical for the welfare of wildlife that anglers not litter and dispose of line in responsible ways. Please spread the word why it is so important to recycle fishing lines.
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