I have no idea why or how this little New Zealand pied cormorant / shag knew to come to a human for help.
Meet Shagpile the little baby. Shagpile was in big trouble, gorgeous little one it is, but it was simply stuffed.
Out shooting at a favourite spot and a little pied Cormorant/Shag started heading toward me across the river after just setting up the tripod and lens. It just kept heading at me and I thought it was a little weird for it to be getting so close.
Got out of the waters edge and it was dragging its right foot and its wing was tied to it !!. It sat down right in front of me. Didn't move, no sound and just looked at me. Damn it, a large fish hook right through its foot, the line was tied around its wing with three small weights and it must have been in pain. What to do.
Went back to the car to see if I had anything to cut the line with and right then, a couple of fishery officers were going past in a ute, not for long they weren't they had a knife (and handcuffs I see). Only too happy to help they were, darn champions !! The girl put on gloves and held the shag, the guy gave me the knife and he held the wing. The hook we just had to pull back through with the barb on it, gees it was not nice, but went through cleanly. Not one single sound did the little shag make.
Got it all out eventually and checked the wing, seems fine and the hole in the foot should heal. It spent a good hour and a half just sitting right next to me after that. I could pat it (very soft by the way) and no sound or pecking, it was content to just sit there.
Finally it seemed to be getting very dry, so being tough as nails, a real bloke me ya know with a big cuddle and a little cry, I put it back in the water. Bang it went off on a deep dive, came up and was happily swimming off.
So a massive thanks to NZ fisheries, wonderful people in my book you beauties.
What I found really interesting out of all this, is that the pied shag knew to go to a human for help and with no fuss what so ever. Fascinating behaviour.
Stories like this should give us all some hope for humanity. Thank you and the others for taking some time to help a helpless bird..."one giant leap for mankind" as the saying goes.
Thanks, and well documented with your photographs.
Tom
That bird might have dove down and got a fish that was still hooked up then got itself snagged and tangled!
Funny how with nature it takes no words to communicate in helping way, the right place at the right time with the right person, what a privilege to be asked by and animal for help Danny, nice work and a great outcome
Oh Danny, what a marvelous and heart warming outcome for this little guy. As Karl stated, what a privilege to be asked by him/her to help. I'm sure it is a day you will never forget.
they had a knife (and handcuffs I see). Only too happy to help they were, darn champions !! The girl put on gloves and held the shag, the guy gave me the knife and he held the wing. The hook we just had to pull back through with the barb on it, gees it was not nice, but went through cleanly. Not one single sound did the little shag make.
