Great Blue Heron Trapped In Netting

The following story about a great blue heron was submitted by Wildlife Rescue Association of British Columbia.

On May 22nd, 2021, an adult great blue heron was found trapped in netting over the koi pond of a suburban house near Vancouver, British Columbia. A staff member of Wildlife Rescue Association of BC went out to rescue the bird and brought it back to our hospital to be assessed.

After a thorough exam, we found that one of the heron’s wings had suffered abrasions to the wrist, causing the joint to not function properly from the swelling. On top of that, the heron’s blood values and weight told us it likely had not eaten in a while and was on the verge of emaciation.

We treated the heron’s wrist wound and started it on medication. We also started giving fluids and tube feeding diluted EmerAid IC Piscivore to help rehydrate and reintroduce nutrients into the system. The next day, we started giving more concentrated EmerAid to provide more nutrients for the body.

We continued treating the wound and giving medication, but it only took a few days for the bird to start eating on its own. The heron gradually increased in weight while in care and after the wrist wound healed, we moved the big bird outside into a larger enclosure.

The heron’s blood values had improved immensely over the course of five days, and after just seven days in care it was flying again in an outdoor enclosure. On June 1st, 2021, this great blue heron was released back into nature looking strong and healthy.