‘Soggy hero’ swims out into lake to free gull tangled in fishing line

A gull that was saved by a ‘soggy hero’ after he swam into the middle of a lake to free it from a discarded fishing line was nursed back to health at a Hastings rescue centre.
By Richard Gladstone
Published 4th Mar 2022, 12:42 BST
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The bird was taken to the RSPCA’s Mallydams Woods Wildlife Centre before being released into the wild at Pett Level this week.

RSPCA Inspector Dave Grant was called to Singleton Lake, Ashford, on February 2 to reports of a gull tangled in fishing line.

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The bird being rescued SUS-220403-123541001The bird being rescued SUS-220403-123541001
The bird being rescued SUS-220403-123541001

He said: “When we arrived we could see the black headed gull who was tangled in the fishing line hanging from a tree in the middle of the lake.

“I swam out to carefully untangle the bird and then swam him to shore where my colleague removed all of the line and boxed him up safely.”

Animal rescue officer Tina Nash, who went to assist, said: “Dave was a soggy hero! He even swam back into the middle of the lake to remove as much of the line as possible.”

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The rescued gull SUS-220403-123551001The rescued gull SUS-220403-123551001
The rescued gull SUS-220403-123551001
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The gull was then taken to Mallydams for X-rays and rehabilitation.

He was kept in for monitoring as he was displaying signs of a dropped wing but, after almost a month in RSPCA care receiving care, he was cleared for release.

Mallydams staff released him at Pett Level on Monday (February 28).

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The RSPCA said discarded fishing litter can be very hazardous to wildlife and the RSPCA receives around 3,000 calls each year about animals affected by angling litter.

Incidents include birds swallowing fishing hooks and entanglements in fishing line, often leading to death.

The RSPCA said water birds are the most affected with the species with the highest numbers of calls being swans, followed by geese, ducks and gulls.

In the hope of preventing future casualties, those who enjoy fishing are being reminded of the dangers that are posed to wildlife from discarded equipment and encouraged to follow the Angling Trust’s Take 5 campaign and make use of the Anglers National Line Recycling Scheme to dispose of their waste tackle and line.

If anyone comes across an animal that has been injured or become tangled in fishing litter contact the RSPCA’s emergency hotline on 0300 1234 999.

Related topics:RSPCAHastings