A SWAN was rescued from the canal in Stoke Prior after getting tangled up in fishing line and suffering a hook digging into him.
A fire crew from Bromsgrove and the water rescue team from Droitwich were sent to the waterway off Shaw Lane at 6.19pm yesterday (Monday).
They used a rescue boat to get to the bird and handed him onto Wychbold Swan Rescue.
Jan Harrigan, from the centre, told The Standard: “He was in a bad way.
“There were yards and yards of fishing line wrapped around him and he had a float attached to him.
“What was worrying was that a one-inch led pellet also found.”
After they untangled him, the swan spent the night at the rescue centre.
He was given antibiotics before being released.
“We wanted to get him back out there as quickly as we could as it is an important time.
“He will have a partner who is either sitting at the moment or who has just hatched her young.”
Jan also praised the fire crews which came to the swan’s rescue.
“We are so thankful to the fire service who do a fantastic job for us.
“They are always happy to carry out these rescues.
“I don’t know where we would be without them.”
And she pleaded with fishermen and women to be more careful and not to discard their unwanted equipment.
“At the moment there are a lot of young swans about and we are getting quite a few youngsters coming into the centre.
“Fishing line and hooks can kill swans very easily.”
On the lead pellet she added: “Certain sizes of lead weights are banned but some are still allowed.
“We would also urge anglers not to use lead.
“If this swan would have swallowed that, it would have been all over for him.”
