Fishing line trapped osprey chick freed
Early on July 29 a three person team freed Ozzie, the youngest of three chicks in Tom and Audrey Osprey’s nest, from a tangle of monofilament fishing line. The line was wrapped around the young bird’s feet and prevented it from taking its first flight. If left alone, the tangled bird would have starved.
Tom and Audrey’s nest has become a favorite video cam site this summer, attracting hundreds of thousands of viewers from all 50 states and countries around the world. The previous night, devoted followers alerted the Chesapeake Conservancy’s osprey crew to the problem. The following morning, more than 3,600 people (and counting) viewed the quick, and quiet work to free the young bird.
Fishing line, plastic rings from soda and beer packs, and other similar trash seriously endangers wildlife throughout the Chesapeake region. As this situation shows, getting trapped can easily lead to an animal’s death.
This rescue provides an opportunity for a public service message to fishermen, and to all of us, to dispose of fishing line properly and not leave it in the wild.
A high quality video of the rescue is available. See Ozzie's Rescue - YouTube.
For background: Ozzie, the youngest chick, is the third to hatch to Tom and Audrey Osprey at their nest on Kent Island. Two older chicks have already fledged and are now out of the nest for long periods. Ozzie must soon learn to fly and fish in order to make his migration south this fall. More details are available on the Chesapeake Conservancy’s website (Chesapeake Conservancy) and interviews with one of the rescuers is possible.
