Leave No Fishing Line Behind!

We were able to release a Canada Goose that made a good recovery after suffering a deep wound from fishing line. If you like to fish, you may not realize how dangerous line left in the water can be for birds that frequent the water. This goose came into our Wildlife Education & Rehabiliation Program recently with fishing line wrapped around the right leg, cutting all the way to the bone. After removing the line and treating with a week of antibiotics, the swelling and inflammation were reduced and the goose began using the leg again.

The lesson this patient teaches? When you go fishing, try not to leave any lines in the water. It’s all too easy for wildlife to get tangled up in the line and the more they struggle, the tighter the vice of line can become. In this case, we're able to report a happy ending and this goose was returned to a local pond. - Amy LeMonds, Wildlife Specialist