Heartbreaking images of a duck with a plastic Coca-Cola bottle sleeve trapped around its neck have emerged online.
The pictures of the eider were taken around Leith Docks, showing the bird swimming in the water with a bright red Coca-Cola sleeve wrapped around its neck on Friday. The snaps were taken by a member of Save our Shore Leith (SOS Leith); a community group dedicated to cleaning up the areas around Leith docks.
The duck in question has reportedly been spotted by a number of residents over the past few weeks. This, however, is the first time pictures of the bird have been taken. SOS Leith are concerned for the duck's welfare because they say the plastic could prove hazardous if it tightens.
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They contacted the SSPCA but both parties were unable to catch the bird and were forced to restrict their wild bird admissions due to the surge in avian flu cases.
An SOS Leith representative, Annette, said the scenes were 'upsetting'
She told Edinburgh Live : “I hadn’t seen it before, but my neighbours have. That particular eider has been around for a few weeks.
“Obviously the bottle was quite visible. Those ducks dive for their food so in doing so it has somehow got into that plastic.
“I live at the Albert dock at Leith, one of the docks owned by Forth ports. I feed the birds, they cost me an arm and a leg and they are always queuing for their breakfast and dinner.
“This was yesterday morning and I saw it, it always makes me quite upset. You always see that kind of thing.
"My neighbour sent me a WhatsApp message that it was back and it was a bit tighter."
Annette added: "I’ve spoken to the SSPCA in the past and they are really good. But the problem for them is that this Eider duck isn't ill and isn’t injured plus it is impossible to get a hold of because the docks have a two-metre drop.
"When you have an adult duck that can dive or fly or swim, they’re just not going to catch it.”
Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer, Brian Todd, confirmed the incident to Edinburgh Live on Saturday and warned of the 'devastating consequences' litter can have on wildlife.
He said: “We received a report yesterday (Friday) of a duck with a coke bottle label around its neck at Leith Docks. When we attended we were unable to access the bird, but the label was loose and not an immediate cause for concern so the bird will be monitored.
“Litter can have devastating consequences on animals. Most commonly we see seals and birds caught up in fishing line or wire, or wildlife visiting gardens becoming tangled in netting.
"Animals could also ingest small pieces of rubbish and choke or die. The majority of these injuries and deaths are entirely avoidable if people disposed of their rubbish responsibly.
"We continue to raise awareness around this subject, as well as support Keep Scotland Beautiful and their mission to protect environments and habitats to ensure Scotland’s wildlife can thrive for years to come."
He added: "Sadly, we have had to introduce a temporary policy to restrict wild bird admissions to our National Wildlife Rescue Centre in response to the current bird flu outbreak. With over 700 birds in our care, combined with emerging evidence that bird flu may infect other wild animals, we have to protect the animals at our centre.
"An outbreak could be devastating for our centre and our ability to continue to care for all types of wildlife. We will however continue to take reports of wild birds in need and attend to them.
"If you do find a sick or injured wild bird, including if they have become hurt or distressed by litter, please do not touch or pick up the bird. Call our free animal helpline on 03000 999 999 to report the bird, describe what you see, and we’ll give you advice and potentially send someone to assess the bird and do what we can to help them.
"If you have touched the bird, wash your hands right away. Please do not bring birds to our National Wildlife Rescue Centre, or any of our animal rescue and rehoming centres.
"We won’t be able to admit them to our care due to the potential risk they could pose to animals in our care."
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