A swan has been rescued in a joint mission between the RSPCA and the fire service after getting trapped in a lock in Leicester.
The distressed bird was spotted by a member of the public, who contacted the animal welfare charity for help.
Animal rescue officer Jack Curran attended to help the bird who’d become trapped at the Freemens Meadow Lock, on the Grand Union Canal Leicester Line in Watkin Road.
Unfortunately, the swan was trapped between the lock gate and a stone wall and would have been crushed if the gates had been opened – and the bird was so water-logged that they couldn’t fly or move easily.
Jack said: “The swan was in quite a predicament and we needed to rescue them before the gates were opened. The fact that they were water-logged meant they couldn’t move around well, let alone fly away.”
The safest way to rescue the bird was with support from the fire service, who arrived after Jack contacted them.
The fire and rescue crew were able to get near the swan in an inflatable raft and bring them to safety. After being given a quick check-over, Jack could see that the bird needed to go to a wildlife centre for rehabilitation.
“The swan was exhausted and, as well as being water-logged, they were missing feathers on their head and neck,” added Jack.
The swan is now at a wildlife centre, where they will be looked after before being released back to the wild.
Jack said: “We are really grateful to the member of the public who contacted us about the swan. There was no way they could get out of this situation on their own and they would have been crushed if the gate had opened. We’re pleased that, with the fire service, we were able to get the swan to safety. It’s a great reminder what we can achieve together for animal welfare. They definitely had a lock-y escape!”
