The rescue got exciting fast …
It was an ordinary August evening in St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, when Gill Start went to the River Great Ouse to feed a local family of swans, just as she did every day. However, this visit took a distressing turn when she found one of the baby swans, or cygnets, severely tangled in fishing line. Despite the cygnet’s attempts to wriggle free, it couldn’t escape on its own. Realizing the urgency of the situation, Start immediately called for help.
Start’s husband reported the situation to The Waterfowl Sanctuary (TWS), which responded quickly. The rescue team, armed with a kayak, made their way to the river the following morning. The location was quite far from roads and involved a long paddle to navigate, but the rescuer eventually located the baby swan.
After a brief chase, the rescuer managed to corral the frightened cygnet into a wall of river grass using the kayak. Once secured, the rescuer noticed the fishing line wrapped around the baby swan’s beak, with a hook lodged in the corner of its mouth. Thankfully, the hook was barbless, but it was still a challenge to remove due to its small size and unclear direction of the bend.
As the rescuer worked swiftly to untangle the fishing line, a growl from the surrounding grass signaled the approach of the cygnet’s father. The protective swan dad emerged and immediately began hissing, flapping his wings, and circling the kayak, all while keeping a close eye on the rescuer. Despite the father’s attempts to protect his young, the rescuer was able to remove the rest of the fishing line from the baby swan’s beak.
With the baby cygnet finally freed, the rescuer checked for injuries and found none. The little one was healthy enough to return to his family. The rescuer gently placed the cygnet back into the water, and the father swan quickly followed, visibly relieved to see his baby returned safely. However, the protective father didn’t let his guard down until the rescuer was far away.
This type of rescue, though common for TWS, is always rewarding, especially when the bird is able to reunite with its loving family. For Gill Start, the swift and dedicated response from the rescue team was nothing short of incredible. As she commented on the rescue video, “Amazing response and results.”