The Oakland County Sheriff's Search & Rescue Team became wildlife heroes this weekend when they successfully extricated a Great Blue Heron from a precarious entanglement in fishing line. The incident, which unfolded on Lake Louise in Brandon Township, Michigan, was attended to after anxious residents alerted authorities to the bird's distress, as reported by CBS News Detroit. The rescue operation was no mean feat; it necessitated the deployment of rescue boats and the skilled interventions of Animal Control Officers Ashley Tester and Aubrie Mausolf.
According to the Detroit Free Press, the heron was wrapped multiple times around its wings with the fishing line, prompting Lt. Brian Burwell to note, "There is no way the bird was going to get out of there." The officers managed to carefully calm and then to free the bird from the snare by placing a towel over its head and cutting away the fishing line. This act of kindness ensured that no residual line was left behind to endanger any other wildlife.
The Search and Rescue Team, known for its lifesaving human endeavors, demonstrated their adaptive skills in this non-human rescue, confirming a commitment to the well-being of all beings. Sheriff Michael Bouchard expressed his pride in his team's actions, affirming that the rescue operation was indicative of the team's growing abilities as they now include animal control officers. "Our search and rescue team has grown in both size and ability, and as such, are capable of rescues of all kinds," he told CBS News Detroit.
The Great Blue Heron, after its release into the wild, was observed swimming away, unharmed. The SSRT's careful extraction of the fishing line may very well have prevented future entanglements. With almost 400 lakes in Oakland County, such highly-skilled teams remain essential, as "there's a great deal of anxiety and concern when they see some animal in distress," Sheriff Bouchard explained to FOX 2 Detroit.
