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Published:
February 13, 2008
Burnham
inshore rescue boat crew helps retrieve injured swan
A
swan that had been shot in the eye with an airgun is in the safe
hands of animal carers after being retrieved by an inshore rescue
boat crew from Burnham-On-Sea on Wednesday morning (February 13th).
BARB,
the Burnham-based charity that operates two rescue hovercrafts
and an inshore rescue boat, was contacted by animal carers at
East Huntspill's wildlife sanctuary Secret World after a walker
reported seeing the distressed swan on a lake near Weston-super-Mare.
 "The
bird was in a agitated state and as we were unable to reach it
from the banks of the lake, using the rescue boat was essential
here," said Secret World's Graeme Thompson.
Mr
Thompson, pictured, was taken out onto the lake - at Locking Pit
- by two BARB crewmen and the swan was quickly captured using
a large net.
It
has now been taken back to Secret World's base where it is being
looked after.
Mr
Thompson said: "It's so sad that people shoot at such wonderful
birds as these. While
it is in a bad way, it is in good hands and now stands a far better
chance of survival."
Mark
Newman, Chairman of BARB, said the organisation was happy to help.
"If distressed animals are not rescued, people often feel
tempted to help by venturing out into the water or mud themselves,
but in turn they can put their own lives at risk. So providing
we're not jeopardizing the rescue of a person elsewhere, BARB
is happy to help with incidents like this."
Burnham-On-Sea
Hovercraft Web site
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