I Understand that Fishing is an Activity Enjoyed by Many.

I am not Going to Bash or Complain about the Sport of Fishing..

It seems to be a Popular Way to Spend Time Outside.

To Enlarge Right Click Image – Open in a New Tab.

FISHING: If you Allow Anyone to Fish in Your Pond or Lake..

Ask them to be EXTREMELY Careful
with Fishing Line, Sinkers and Hooks..

It is Safest for your Captive Pet Swans if NO Fishing is Allowed..

I am Always Happy to See Ponds Designated “NO FISHING.”

A BRIGHT Red Bobber… Someone was Fishing on a NO Fishing Pond.

The Pond or Lake Your Swans Live on.. is their Home.

What is Difficult to Accept is the Careless Disregard for the Environment
by Some – Not All – People who Fish..

******

Fishermen Say they Love the OutDoors.. > > > Why do they Trash It. ? ?

Mute Swans get Blamed for All Kind of Negative Impacts
on the WaterWays they Live on.. But, this is Not Swan Waste..
******

******

THIS is People TRASH ! !

I Want to Share with Folks interested in Having Swans
what Can Happen if Fishing Hooks, Lines and Sinkers
are Left in the Water where your Captive Pet Swans
and other Water Birds Live.

Your Domestic Ducks and Geese will Suffer Injuries that Mangle them.
Many of these Fishing Related Tangles and Puncture Wounds
will Require a Visit to a Veterinarian..
Wounds can be Time Consuming to Treat.  Many are Fatal….

This Tiny Cygnet was Barely OUT of the Nest and it is HOOKED !

This Female Mallard became Entangled in a SIX-Pronged Barbed Hook.
She was First Hooked in the Webbing of her Foot.
Trying to Free herself with her Beak, her Tongue became Impaled.
She was Lucky, Found, Helped and Released.

Discarded Fishing Line Around the Leg of this Goose was Cutting
in so Deeply, Saving the Leg was Questionable.

One Hook can Destroy the Future of an Entire Family.

A FISHING Hook is Literally a TIME BOMB
waiting to Kill any Bird or Animal that Swallows One.

Use GREAT CARE when Capturing a Swan/Cygnet that may have
ingested a Fishing Hook.
Do your BEST NOT to handle the Neck. Keep Stress as LOW as Possible.

VERY GENTLY – Touch the Neck ALL Around to feel
for any Lump that might be the Location of a Hook !!

WHAT YOU CAN NOT SEE ! !
Below an X-RAY of a Duck that Swallowed a Fishing Hook.
This would Required Risky Surgery to Remove. Outcome Unknown.

If an Unfortunate Swan/Cygnet Swallows a Fishing Hook
OR any Bird or Waterfowl…
The SOONER it is Removed the Better the Chance
that no Long Term Harm or Death will occur.

One of the Young Cygnets above Swallowed a Length of Fishing Line..
The Cygnet’s Owner CUT the Line at his Beak and Released him.
NO Plan to Find Out if there was a Hook or to Help him..
“He is a Wild Creature. God will take Care of him..”      ( B… S… ! )

My Heart SANK, when I learned they turned the Cygnet out to their Pond.

DO NOT CUT SWALLOWED FISHING LINE SHORT
– there MIGHT be a HOOK…
This will Aid finding the Hook.. Leave Several SECURED Inches Visible.

The Bird or Animal will BEST be helped by a Veterinarian.

We Arranged with the County Cruelty Officer for this Cygnet
to be Removed from the Farm Pond.
He was Taken to a Veterinarian for Help.
His Weight was 40 % below what he should have Weighed.

There is NO WAY:  > > > WITHOUT an X-RAY
No way to know how Large the Hook is..
No way to know how the Hook is Oriented..
No way to know how Far Down the Hook has Gone..
NO WAY to know how many Barbs the Hook has..

If a Painful Puncture and Bleeding does Not Kill the Animal/Bird,
Fishing Hooks will Dissolve/Rust over Time..
Depending on the Size, this can take Weeks to Months..
Dissolving Metals will S-L-O-W-L-Y be Absorbed..
Heavy Metal Poisoning.

In the MEANTIME:
As the Swan/Cygnet moves about the Hook Barbs may change its
Position and Location.  Swans Twist their Necks to Drink, Eat and
Preen.. It will likely cause PAIN as it Stabs into Tender Tissues.

Throat Tissues may become Swollen, Sore and Ulcerate.
High incidents of Infection.. Bacteria – Fungus.. Necrosis.

A Swallowed Fishing Hook may cause Chronic to Severe Bleeding..
Especially, if it Punctures a Carotid Artery or Jugular Vein.
Massive Bleeding, Loss of Blood to their Brain.
Obstructive Blood Clots.  Many Fatal Potentials.

Plant Material, which Swans Try to Eat, may be Caught and Choke
the Cygnet/Swan. Prevent Eating – High Risk of Starving.

Hook Barbs may Migrate to the Trachea – cause Airway Obstruction,
Bleeding into their Lungs. Painful Fatal Outcome.

Hook Barbs may Migrate to their Neck Vertebrae.
Damage Nerves-Impair Function. Imagine the PAIN !!

By the Time the Swan/Cygnet is in Distress from a FISHING HOOK,
it will be more Difficult to Save them. The Longer the FISHING HOOK
is in the Throat the more Treatment will likely be Needed.
Poor Prognosis.

This Young Cygnet was Lucky. He was Rescued and taken for Help.
He did not have a Fishing Hook in his Esophagus..
BUT, he did have a Wad of Balled-up Fishing Line in his Gizzard.
The Line was Abrading the Lining of his Gizzard, causing Bleeding.
The Fishing Line was Removed, he was Treated with Antibiotics,
Time to Recover and Gain Weight.. Adopted to a New Home.

If you SEE Fishing Line Hanging from a Swan’s Mouth…
DO NOT CUT the Line. – Leave SEVERAL Inches Visible.
Find a Way to KEEP it from being SWALLOWED Further.
TIE the Fishing Line Around a Kids SOCK.. or a Small Wash Cloth.
Something Soft that the Swan/Cygnet can NOT Swallow.
Your VET will have a BETTER Chance of Removing the HOOK.

The Young Swan Cygnet Below was Rescued – Not Saved.. Died.

Carelessly Discarded Fishing Line, Hooks and Lead Sinkers
have been Responsible for “Way Too Many” Waterfowl Deaths..

Painful Tissue Injuries might be Treated after Days of Bleeding
when Infections have started.. All Blood Loss is an Emergency !

What you are Seeing is a Result of FISHING..
and NOT being Responsible for Fishing Line.. and HOOKs !

The Pain and Stress the Swans Endure May Contribute to a Poor Outcome..

At a Pond that was to be Designated “No Fishing” – Public Fishing Continued.

The Young Swans on this Pond were Hooked and Injured Several Times.

******

We Arranged for a Rescue to Occur on a Wednesday..
A Veterinarian Appointment was Made for that Evening.

The Owner Arranged for Someone to Shoot the Juvenile Swan on Tuesday.
They were Tired of all the Expensive Veterinary Bills..
The Young Swan was a Victim Twice.. through NO Fault of his. So Sad.

They did Allow the Rescuers to Collect his Brother.
We found him a New Home.  In 2023, he was a Sire to Three Cygnets.

******

******

The Line was Caught on Rocks.. Luckily the Swan Pulled Free..
We Could Not get Hold of her.. The Hook Eventually Rusted Off.

A Lost Bobber.. Floating out in the River..

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

The Saga of a Rescued Swan.. Who Knows how Long she was Hooked.

A Family that had been Visiting and Feeding her… Took her Home.

It Took Repeated Tries to Capture this Feral Mute Swan.

A Trip to their Veterinarian.. Hook was Removed and Treated.

Weeks of Recovery Time.. the Swan Continued to Struggle.

She was Using her Wings to Assist her Walking.

This Swan’s Leg was Not Ok.. She Struggled to Walk.. Victim of a Hook.

Now she has a Home.. Beautiful and Graceful in the Water.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

SINKERs:
Lead Poisoning is a BIG Problem for Wild and Domestic Waterfowl.

Swallowed Lead will Slowly Cause Toxic Heavy Metal Poisoning.
Difficult and Time Consuming to Treat.

Over the Years, we have Talked with Pond Families and Helped Rescue
Way TOO Many Swans and Cygnets Entangled-Snagged
by Fishing Hooks, Lines.. So Far No Sinkers or Shot Gun Lead.

Well, that has Changed.. Late July 2023.. I Received a Call..
A Young Cygnet was being taken ASAP to an Animal Medical Hospital..
It was Found early in the Day.. Very Weak..
An XRay at a Local Vet’s Office showed a Fishing Split.
It had to be Resuscitated on Arriving at the Hospital..
Sorta Stable for 36 Hours..
Then Seizures Ended this Tiny Life.. Before Treatment could be Started.

The Cygnet above with the Weak Neck Muscles..
Very Suspicious of Lead Poisoning..

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

This OnLine Image became Real for One of Our Swan Friends.

The Female is Young, the Cob is Older.
They were Getting to Know Each Other.

A Fishing Bobber Floating into their Pond from the Source Stream.
The Young Female Swallowed it ?? Hook and Line. ???
It was NOT going to Pull OUT.. WAS there a HOOK ???
The Fishing Line would CUT if Tugged to Hard.

An XRay did not Show a HOOK..
But the Fishing Line was Very Tight in the Gizzard Muscle.
First Vet Said, Nothing Could be Done… but, Euthanize her.

I Recommended taking this Young Female to another Vet…
that we Know..  Dr. L. gave her a Little Sedation..
That Relaxed the Gizzard Muscles and the Fishing Line
was Gently Pulled UP and OUT !!!

It was a 90 Minute Drive Home.. By then she was Totally Awake..
And Released Back to her Adoring Mate..  LUCKY & Happy Ending.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

A Distressed Swan Rescued after having Tongue Impaled
by Discarded Fishing Hook.

Some Hooks will Come OUT Easily..
Some Hooks Embed Deeply.. Cause Bleeding and Pain.

These are the Painful Punctures Suffered by a Swan in the U.K.
after Swallowing Fishing Line attached to TWO Hooks.

Fishing Line Tangles Wings, Legs, Necks..
Tissue Damage and Permanent Injuries are Common.

One of their Four Month Old Cygnets was Tangled,
Struggling Likely Broke her Wing.
She Died during the Night, before she could get to the Vet’s Office.

There are many Sad Stories I could share..
“PiP” is Another One. He was between 4–5 Months when Rescued.
A Caring Team of People spent Months Helping him Recover.
Thanks to All.

He was Lucky to Survive his Encounter with Fishing Line.
Any Waterfowl, Birds… and other Animals can become Tangled
in Fishing Line left in their Living Environment..
Fishing Line is Strong and does not breakdown..

He was Found with his Foot Tangled with Fishing Line.
His Struggling to Free himself caused Mutilation
of his Left Foot’s Web Tissues.

When Rescued, the Damaged Tissues were Surgically Removed.
All the Network of Blood Vessels between his Toe Digits were Damaged.

It was Over a Year before he was Ready for Adoption to a New Home.

The Primary use of Webbed Feet is for Paddling through Water.
Webbed Feet have more Surface Area to Push Water Backwards
and thus Propelling the Waterfowl Forward.

The Large Network of Blood Vessels in the Webbing is Important
to Aid Waterfowl Regulate their Body Temperature.

This Nasty Damage will Affect his Life.. He will Need to Adapt.
His Foot will Sink into Soft Muddy Dirt, be more Easily Cut.

**********************************************************

Entangled Waterfowl Can NOT Fly, Swim, Forage for Food
or Protect Themselves from Predators.
Tightening Constriction around the Body can cause Suffocation.

If Fishing Line gets Wrapped and Tight enough it can AMPUTATE
Legs, Wings, Strangle their Neck Affecting Breathing, etc.
While causing Gangrene as a Body Part Slowly Dies.
The Poor Helpless, Tangled Swan can easily Starve if it does not get help..

***********************************************************

Another Young Swan’s Life has been Changed.. Forever.

Once Tangled in Fishing Line, the Line Tightens around her Leg
to the Point it Cut through the Skin and into the Bone
as she Struggled to Free herself.

Infections incur, Circulation is Cut Off Resulting in Amputation.

A Little Local was Given to Finish the Amputation..

This is Where the Leg was Damaged – No Hope to Repair.

She will Not be Able to Walk.. Swans are Too Large to Hop on One Leg.

It is Hard to think about this Live Bird Suffering Endless Hours
for over 2–3 Weeks – Alone in Pain and Scared.
I do not have Words..

A Series of Dedicated People Tended Tirelessly to Help this Young Swan Recover.

An Experienced Rehab Angel in Florida.. Welcomed this Young Female.
Close to Round the Clock Care.. Weeks of Therapy.

In the End, the Swan kept Trying to Stand to Preen..
Then Plop-down on her Abdomen.
The Abdomen Skin was Bruised Over and Over..
Damaged beyond Healing.

If this Swan would have Stayed in the Water,
she might have had a Chance.
Her Loss was Heart Wrenching for Everyone
who Tried so Hard to Save her.

***********************************************************

Countless Birds Suffer an Agonizing Death.

Birds/Swans often Pick-up Fishing Line to put in their Nest.
This may have a Fatal Outcome for the Cygnets.

******

The Trumpeter Swan Parents Could Do Nothing to Help their Cygnet.
*****************
Do a Simple Internet Search for ** Images Swan Fishing **
*****************
WaterFowl Do NOT have TEETH..

They Ingest their Food in Bites that can be Swallowed.
Swans are Vegetarians and Eat a Diet with Lots of Tough Fiber.

These Foods Need to be Ground into Smaller Bits that will
Pass into their Digestive System.

Most Waterfowl Swallow Small Bits of Gravel that Act as “Teeth”
in their Gizzard, Breaking Down the Tough Plant Fibers
thus Aiding Digestion.

Ingested Fishing Line can cause Intestinal Blockage and Bleeding.
Balled-up Wads of Line will Churn in the Gizzard Muscle..
Pain and Bleeding..Slow Starvation..

Not Being a Person who Goes Fishing..
I am Using Wikipedia for the Following Information..

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishing_sinker

A Fishing Sinker or Knoch is a Weight used in Conjunction with a
Fishing Lure or Hook to increase its Rate of Sink, Anchoring Ability,
and/or Casting Distance.

A Lead Fishing Sinker is a Weight used to Sink a Lure
or Bait to the Bottom of the Waterway.

Sinkers are Formed into many Shapes for Diverse Fishing Applications.
Depending on the Metals.. Swallowed Sinkers will Poison Waterfowl.

Most Fishing Sinkers are made of Solid Lead.
Lead is Inexpensive to Produce and Mold into a Large Variety
of Shapes for Specific Fishing Applications.

Fishing Sinkers may be as Small as 1 Gram for Applications
in Shallow Water, and even Smaller for Fly Fishing Applications,
or as Large as Several Pounds or Considerably more for Deep Sea Fishing.

There are many Environmental Concerns Surrounding the use
of Lead and other Materials in Fishing Sinkers.
Lead in Fishing Sinkers causes Lead Poisoning in WildLife.

Anglers should be Careful when using Lead Sinkers
and if at all Possible Never Leave Lead Sinkers
in the Environment they are Enjoying.

Any Lead Fishing Items Swallowed by Waterfowl will
Slowly Poison the Birds.. There are MANY Articles onLine..

Treating and Saving a Swan Suffering from Lead Poisoning
is a Long and Difficult Process.. if Successful.

When I see Fishing on a Pond or Lake where Swans are Living..
I feel myself Tense – Cringe .. Immediate Worry..
> > > Too Many Sad Stories.

*******

A Clean, Litter Free Environment Benefits All.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

WildLife would be Happy to See these Signs..

******

******

******

******

******

******

******

******
An OnLine Search:  Fishing Hooks Swans.. Lots of Sad Photos.
******

******

******

******

******

******

******

******

******

You Get the Idea..  Swans and Fishing do NOT Mix Well !

You will have FEWER Injured Swans, Ducks, Geese !

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Thoughts, Information and Memories Collected – September 2023
An Unfortunate Work in Progress. (C) Linda M.Sweger
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

We can Share the Great OutDoors.

Fishing, Boating, Enjoying Wildlife Safely.
Did you know you can Recycle your Used Fishing Line?

The Fishing Line Recycling Unit above was Installed by an Eagle Scout
as a Community Service Project for a Large Lake Community.
GREAT IDEA.

We hope more Fishing Folks will Use this Type of Recycling.

Do a Search for: Fishing Line Recycling Program.

Fishing Line will be Sent Back to be Recycled into Fish Habitats.

There are Products to Help Fisher Folks Recover Line.. and Hooks.

I Learned that there are Effort to Provide Ways to ReClaim
and Dispose of Hooks, Lines and Fishing Stuff…

Please Help Reduce the Suffering.

******

******

It is Just a Matter of Time.