TIERRA VERDE, Fla. — A Pinellas County wildlife rescue group is trying to locate and help a Great Blue Heron spotted in Tierra Verde with a fishing lure caught in its neck and beak.
- Passerby saw the injured bird Monday, recorded video
- Bird still capable of flight despite injury
- Volunteers will be out again Wednesday to try to locate the bird
“It’s terrible," said Mackenzie LaRoe, who spotted the bird Monday. "You just want to give it your all. I couldn’t sleep last night.”
LaRoe recorded video of the injured bird on her phone that afternoon.
“I was just riding my bike through and I saw this great blue heron and it looked like it was in a weird position," she explained. "And I turned my bike around and sure enough, this big fishing lure was stuck in its neck and its beak."
Despite the injury, the heron is still able fly, so LaRoe and volunteers from Birds in Helping Hands Wildlife Rescue weren’t able to catch him.
On Tuesday, the bird was back in the same spot at the water with the fishing lure still stuck on its beak.
Area wildlife experts say this is something they see too often in this area.
“It’s a huge problem," said Shelley Vickery, director of Birds in Helping Hands. "You can’t even imagine how many birds, how many calls we get a day.”
Vickery says they attempt to rescue at least six birds in situations similar to this one every day.
She advises people who see an injured bird to call them at 727-365-4592 or 904-703-2815.
She also urges anglers to be careful casting lines and to pick up after themselves.
“[The heron] can’t open his mouth, so he can drink, but he can’t eat," Vickery said. "So he’s going to be getting weaker and weaker as the days go on."
Until it’s caught, LaRoe said she plans to be out here trying to help.
“I don’t know, I feel like it’s your life purpose. If the universe brings you something to do good, you just need to do that,” said LaRoe.
Volunteers say they plan to be out here again on Wednesday with kayaks to try and get to the bird from the other side.
They say they won’t stop until he is caught.
For more information on Birds in Helping Hands Wildlife Rescue or to donate to their cause, visit birdsinhelpinghands.org.