HUTCHINSON, Minn. — A great blue heron entangled in discarded fishing line was rescued recently by a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conservation officer after a concerned angler reported the struggling bird.

CO Brett Wiltrout was patrolling near Hutchinson when an angler alerted him to the bird, which was caught in braided fishing line just feet from the shoreline. The line had been snagged on a nearby tree, preventing the heron from flying and damaging its wing feathers.

Wiltrout carefully captured the heron, cut it free, and contacted a wildlife rehabilitator to assist with its recovery. Officials remind anglers to retrieve snagged fishing line whenever possible to prevent injuries to wildlife.

Source: Minnesota DNR Enforcement