Shocking photos show a male swan millimetres from death after a fishing hook became deeply embedded in its neck. The injured bird was “barely breathing” when it was found on a lake at a stately home with the barbed hook dangling from inside its body.
The RSPCA said it rescued the swan from Capesthorne Hall, in Macclesfield, Cheshire, on June 13. It was believed the swan might have been struggling with the injury for three weeks.
When vets examined the bird, they found it was close to asphyxiation as the piercing had caused a ring of swelling that had nearly blocked its windpipe. Due to the injuries and avian flu outbreak guidelines, the team had to drive the swan 70 miles to The Veterinary Health Centre Ltd in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. The hook and line were extracted from the bird following a successful operation and it was then reunited with the mate and two cygnets that it lives with.
