Great Blue Heron Injured By Fishing Gear

The following story about a great blue heron was shared with us by Save Our Seabirds in Florida.

This great blue heron was found tangled in fishing line on November 24, 2023, at the boat docks on City Island in Sarasota, Florida. Upon closer inspection, the rescuers realized that there was a large fishhook piercing through the bird’s right leg.

The heron was brought to Save Our Seabirds, where the hook was removed. In addition to the wounded leg, there were also abrasions on both sides of the face and all over the body from line entanglement. The heron’s wounds were cleaned and dressed, and it was prescribed antibiotics, pain medications, fluids, and tube feedings of EmerAid IC Piscivore.

After two days of eating EmerAid, the patient’s energy improved enough to switch to a solid diet.

There was mild tendon damage in the leg affecting the mobility of the right hallux, so a small bandage was placed to support the hallux while the leg healed.

After a week of hospitalization, the heron was strong enough to go into an outdoor enclosure for some exercise. The hallux bandage was removed when the tendon damage had fully healed. Thankfully, there did not seem to be any permanent damage to the function of the leg or foot.

After a couple of weeks of reconditioning, the patient’s flight and perching capabilities were assessed in the outdoor enclosure. The heron was released on December 21, 2023.