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RSPCA Folkestone rescue tangled seagull on Hythe beach

A seagull had to be rescued by wildlife officers after becoming tangled in fishing lines.

The injured gull was found by a coastguard team on a beach in Hythe.

Barry the gull was rescued on Hythe beach. Photo: RSPCA Folkestone
Barry the gull was rescued on Hythe beach. Photo: RSPCA Folkestone

Affectionately named Barry, he was found attached to another gull by the lines and hooks.

His friend was released, but unfortunately Barry had a hook in his mouth that was too far down for officers to easily remove.

He had to be collected by a volunteer from RSPCA Folkestone to rest and recuperate.

Barry was then taken to the nearest RSPCA wildlife centre, Mallydams at Fairlight, where he will be seen to by a vet.

This is the second incident involving a seagull and fishing lines in the space of just over a month.

Carol Knott attempted to save a seagull which had swallowed two fish hooks in Deal
Carol Knott attempted to save a seagull which had swallowed two fish hooks in Deal

In July, a juvenile Herring Gull tragically had to be put down after swallowing two fishing hooks in Deal.

An RSPCA spokesman said: "It is always upsetting to hear about fishing lines left on the beach.

"Lines and hooks can pose a danger to dogs and humans as well as wildlife.

"We know that these lines can sometimes be left or lost by accident, especially if they snap, but we would ask that anyone fishing on the beach be as careful as possible to avoid incidents such as this."

An angler, who wishes to remain nameless, responded to say: "The majority of anglers have a keen interest in the environment and local flaura and fauna, and take positive measures to ensure that it is treated with respect.

"This also includes the fish that we catch, bo angler deliberately sets out to harm wildlife, far from it.

"Bait and fishing tackle are both expensive, and no angler I know would leave this on a beach or pier.

"The louts who invade our beaches, and leave them strewn with litter, single use plastics, broken glass, human feaces, used disposable barbecues etc, in balance have a far more detrimental effect on our wildlife than the odd snap off when casting a line out."

Escaped animals, unusual finds and news from the RSPCA can all be found here.

Read more: All the latest news from Hythe

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