Baby Seagull Saved After Swallowing Fish Hook

A baby seagull which swallowed a discarded fishing hook and line is recovering after surgery to remove the hook which had lodged in its stomach.  Without the operation it’s likely the bird would have suffered a painful death, either from starvation or from internal injuries caused by the hook.  Vet Pip Bulman at the Seaford branch of Pet Doctors, who carried out the life-saving procedure says he’s making a good recovery and will be released early this week.

The gull, named Moshi by staff at Pet Doctors, was brought to the practice on Wednesday 22 September after it had been found distressed and trapped.  A length of fishing line was hanging from its beak and had become tangled in telegraph wires and around his feet so that he had to be freed. “We X-rayed Moshi and found the hook,” said Pip.  “We had no choice but to remove it so we operated at once.  The procedure went smoothly and he’s now recuperating.  We’re feeding him on raw fish kindly donated by local fishmonger Paul’s Plaice. “

He’s about five months old and still has his juvenile plumage so we can’t tell what type of gull he is.  He’s a spirited chap and, despite the stitches down his front, is making it clear that he’s keen to get back the life he knows.  We’re glad that we’ve had the opportunity to help him after this awful accident and hope he’ll now have a happy future.

Most fishermen are careful about disposing of unwanted fishing lines, hooks and weights but we’d like to remind everyone who uses this equipment to be vigilant about disposing of it safely.  Sadly we regularly hear about birds and dogs which have swallowed fishing equipment.   It can do them great harm and is often fatal. Moshi is one of the lucky ones, even if he doesn’t feel that way at the moment.”

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