On Saturday (October 7) London Fire Brigade and volunteers from the Greenwich Wildlife Network have been referred to as to the lake in Danson Park.
The chicken, a cormorant, had turn out to be “entangled” with rope after two fishing hooks had turn out to be embedded within the animal’s leg.
According to the Wildlife Trust, the chicken is usually present in coastal areas in addition to in lakes, reservoirs, and inland rivers within the UK.
Greenwich Wildlife Network founder, Rae Gellel, stated that this wasn’t a generally seen chicken in London and never a chicken that the charity encounters regularly.
Rae stated: “These dinosaur-like birds are usually not a species we regularly encounter in London, as they’re extra considerable in coastal areas.
“It’s a most unusual bird for us at the Greenwich Wildlife Network.”
On arrival, volunteers from the Greenwich Wildlife Network contacted London Fire Brigade resulting from poor visibility on the time of night time.
A rescue boat owned by London Fire Brigade was despatched out to achieve the chicken, and the chicken was then handed over to the care of volunteers from the Greenwich Wildlife Network.
Rae stated: “The cormorant was in peril of drowning.
“Since the park has no sources of sunshine at night time, we have been uncertain of our talents to free him utilizing our inflatable kayak, although we have been dedicated to attempt if it was the one possibility.
“Thankfully LFB agreed to attend as a substitute and access the cormorant utilizing their boat, more than likely additionally saving me from an evening caught within the mud at Danson Park.
“Our volunteers have been then on standby to gather the Cormorant after he was dropped at security by the hearth fighters.
“We are in debt to London Fire Brigade.”
After volunteers had inspected the chicken, they found two giant fishing hooks that had turn out to be embedded within the animal’s foot, which resulted within the chicken sustaining a fracture to its leg.
The animal was taken to the Swan Sanctuary to obtain remedy for its accidents.
Rae stated: “Upon arrival it was clear the supply of entanglement – two fishing hooks deeply embedded within the stunning chicken’s foot, which had then acquired caught on a size of rope within the lake.
“He had additionally given himself a nasty fracture while struggling to free himself.
“Since these are a specialist species and the cormorant needs the care of an experienced vet ASAP, the ever dedicated has Lauren cancelled plans in order to transport him to the Swan Sanctuary.”
“Unfortunately it’s actually frequent for us to get calls about animals with fishing line wrapped round a limb or a fishing hook embedded in them, we get no less than one rescue per week of that nature.
“Whilst we typically don’t encourage pastimes that require harming animals within the first place, we’d ask any anglers to no less than correctly discard of any fishing gear and to not depart any behind within the atmosphere as a result of it’ll inevitably result in conditions like this.
“One moment of carelessness can equal weeks of pain and suffering for an animal and can ultimately cost them their lives.”
A spokesperson for London Fire Brigade stated: “London Fire Brigade was referred to as at 1828 on October 7 to stories of a chicken trapped in netting in the course of a lake at Danson Park in Bexleyheath.
Rescued cormorant chicken (Image: Rae Gellel)
“Two hearth engines from Sidcup and Bexley hearth stations attended the scene together with a hearth and rescue unit from Bexley Fire Station.
“Firefighters used one of many Brigade’s water rescue boats to achieve the chicken they usually labored to launch it earlier than leaving it within the care of companions.
“The incident was over for firefighters by 1941.”
They added: “We’re saddened to listen to that the chicken which our firefighters helped rescue from a lake at Danson Park has not survived from accidents that it had sustained.
“Firefighters love animals and we’re prepared, keen and capable of help distressed or injured animals – the very last thing we would like is for folks to place themselves in danger rescuing an animal themselves – however we do encourage folks to name the RSPCA within the first occasion and we are going to help if our specialist gear is required.”
