Penguin saved from long suffering death
Over the weekend the local Cape St Francis SANCCOB branch received a call to rescue a distressed penguin on Main Beach in St Francis Bay. On arrival SANCCOB staff found a penguin struggling in the surf and although frantically flapping its one flipper but appeared tangled in fishing line for all its efforts to escape were in vain.
Two local men, Bryce Hendricks and Aaron Haldane who were observing the distressed bird volunteered to go and help and after removing their clothes, equipping themselves with an arm guard and glove for protection against penguin pecks they a waded undeterred into the cold sea. Finally able to free the penguin whose left leg was entangled in fishing line, they were able to carry it to the waiting SANCCOB staff.
Returning to the SANCCOB centre in Cape St Francis to treat the penguin they sadly found the bird’s left foot had been badly lacerated by the fishing line and would have to have been amputated which was not an option and so the decision was made for the vet to put the bird down.
SANCCOB thanked Bryce and Aaron for all their help in not having the bird suffer more than it already had and suffer a long and painful death in its struggle to free itself.
We understand that fishermen do lose their fishing line when it gets snagged in the rocks but every effort must always be made to recover the line. Our marine life is under so much threat not only from fishing line and plastic that we all need to make every effort to stop the pollution for if not, there will be no more fish to catch.
Post edited fro Facebook post
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