Two loons within the space of a month were snared by fishing tackle on Two Sisters Lake in the town of Newbold. Both birds survived, but needed outside help.
Mark Naniot from Wild Instincts animal rehab near Rhinelander was called to help each loon...
"....the male ended up getting hooked in the upper bill. We worked with the Loon Research Team. We were able to capture the Loon and remove the hook out it's mouth. One thing we were concerned about is the chicks had just hatched that day..."
....that bird was released successfully. A second Loon was spotted by kayakers on Two Sisters Lake who cut the fishing line. But Naniot says the hook was still in the Loons leg and she was having difficulty. After a bit, Naniot and others captured the loon and successfully removed the hook. He says they also had two other loons caught in the last month and one died because fishing line had wrapped around the Loon's bill and it starved to death.
He asks anglers to stop casting if a Loon is around or move to another spot to avoid problems. He says if you see a Loon in distress call for help, as the experts can increase the chances of saving the bird.
