Tawny owl tangled in fishing line put down

12/03/2010 23:45:23 Sad endings for buzzard and Tawny owl tangled in trees
March 2010. The RSPCA rescued two birds tangled and caught up in the branches of trees in two different locations.

Tawny owl caught in fishing line
A tawny owl was left dangling over the River Severn at Stourport-On-Severn after getting fishing line tangled around its wing. RSPCA inspector Lee Hopgood was called to rescue the owl. It was in a very tricky place to get to, a long way from the bank of the river, and too high up to reach from a boat. It was also too remote for the Fire and Rescue Service to reach.

Lee said "I had a pole, but that wasn't long or strong enough, so in the end I had to grab a strong tree branch, tie a net to the end of it and then hold it under the bird. A colleague then managed to snap the branch it was on, and it fell safely into the net."

The owl was taken straight to a local wildlife rescue centre, but the injuries to its wing were too severe and it sadly had to be put to sleep.

Deadly fishing line
Lee added: "Fishing litter continues to cause pain and suffering to wildlife, and whilst most responsible fisherman are aware of the importance of clearing up after themselves, there's still a minority that don't bother. Taking just a few minutes extra to dispose of litter properly can help prevent distressing incidents like this occurring."

A buzzard, almost certainly owned by a falconer, caught in a tree in Newcastle. Photo credit RSPCA

Buzzard caught by leather strap in tree
In the second incident RSPCA inspector Dawn Burrell was called to Underwood Road in Newcastle where a buzzard was caught twenty feet up in a tree by its foot, which had a jess attached to it. Jesses are thin straps used by falconers to keep control of their birds and so this buzzard must have been owned by someone.

Dawn said "The bird was clearly distressed. I saw it was too high for me to reach, so I called out staff from N & J Tree Surgeons who were very generous with their time and helped me to get close to the buzzard. I managed to untangle it and then took it to RSPCA Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre where, despite best efforts, it sadly died from its injuries."