A cormorant with a fishing float and line wrapped around its wing has finally freed itself of the impediment, much to the relief of the Burnaby-based Wildlife Rescue Association and others worried about the fate of the bird that hangs out at Lafarge Lake.
The cormorant, which someone on Twitter dubbed Bob the Disgruntled Cormorant, has spent weeks with the fishing equipment dangling from its wing, and officials were worried it would eventually cause injury to the shoulder, making eating and diving difficult.
But this week the cormorant appears to be healthy and free of the dangling bobber.
"A staff member and a volunteer went to check on the cormorant today and it is no longer wrapped in fishing line or a weight," communications spokesperson Yolanda Brooks stated in an email to The News Thursday.
"They watched the bird fly around, bask and fish and it was able to do so without impediment. So for the time being, we are going to leave it be unless its condition changes. It has a good food supply at the lake and seems very mobile and able to take care of itself."
The news will be a relief to everyone who called the city and wildlife rescue about the bird, including Gordon White, executive director of the organization, who spent several hours last weekend trying to capture the bird.
Together with volunteer Liz Grant, dressed in a diving suit and holding a net, White paddled his ocean-going kayak in an effort corral the cormorant into an area on the shore of Lafarge Lake.
"He was very evasive and always several steps ahead of us," White said.
Coquitlam staff also tried to capture the bird earlier this month with similar bad luck.
Now, it appears he's OK and can continue to feed on fish and roost in his favorite trees at the lake.
"It's getting a lot of notoriety this bird," White agreed.
Wildlife Rescue Association operates with donations, find out more here.
