Sad endings for tawny owl and buzzard

15.03.10

We rescued two birds tangled in the branches of trees in two different locations - but sadly we were unable to save them.

Tawny owl rescue

A tawny owl was left dangling over the River Severn at Stourport-on-Severn in Worcestershire after getting fishing line tangled around its wing.

RSPCA Inspector Lee Hopgood was called to rescue the owl. It was in a very tricky place to get to, a long way from the bank of the river, and too high up to reach from a boat. It was also too remote for the Fire and Rescue Service to reach.

Lee said: "I had a pole, but that wasn't long or strong enough, so in the end I had to grab a strong tree branch, tie a net to the end of it and then hold it under the bird. A colleague then managed to snap the branch it was on, and it fell safely into the net."

The owl was taken straight to a local wildlife rescue centre, but the injuries to its wing were too severe and it sadly had to be put to sleep.

Lee added: "Fishing litter continues to cause pain and suffering to wildlife, and whilst most responsible fisherman are aware of the importance of clearing up after themselves, there’s still a minority that don’t bother.

"Taking just a few minutes extra to dispose of litter properly can help prevent distressing incidents like this occurring."

You can find out more about the dangers litter poses to animals and how you can help in our FAQ - Litter and animals.
 

Buzzard rescue 

In the second incident, RSPCA Inspector Dawn Burrell was called to Underwood Road in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, where a buzzard was caught 20 feet up in a tree by its foot, which had a jess attached to it.

Jesses are thin straps used by falconers to keep control of their birds and so this buzzard must have been owned by someone.

Dawn said: "The bird was clearly distressed. I saw it was too high for me to reach, so I called out staff from N & J Tree Surgeons, who were very generous with their time and helped me to get close to the buzzard.

"I managed to untangle the bird and then took it to our Stapeley Grange Wildlife Centre where, despite best efforts, it sadly died from its injuries."
 

But a happy ending for bittern

Sadly these two birds could not be saved, but there are many wild animals found abandoned or injured that we are able to rescue and rehabilitate at our wildlife centres.
 

Earlier this month on 2 March we released one of Britain's rarest and most elusive birds back into the wild, a bittern.
 
The bird, who was discovered injured at RSPB's Dungeness reserve in Kent in November last year after hitting an overhead cable, was nursed back to health by staff at our Mallydams Wood Wildlife Centre in Hastings, East Sussex.

And rehabilitation is just one of the many different ways we work to improve wildlife welfare.

Find out more about how we help wildlife, including advice on what to do with injured wild animals.