Great story, UCD to the rescue, once again. Feather tranplants, wow.
Injured heron taken under the wing
Wildlife center urges anglers to mind their lines
By M.S. Enkoji - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PST Tuesday, February 13, 2007
The black-crowned night heron had to be having the worst winter ever, snared in fishing line and dangling from a high wire.
But the sleek marsh-dwelling bird had a bit of luck left: It was rescued from its deadly predicament in Yolo County, the same county with one of the nation's top veterinary schools.
That's when things turned grand for the heron, now known as B37.
University of California, Davis, veterinarians performed a feather transplant Monday on B37, grounded since December after losing nine crucial feathers from the right wing.
With a new set of feathers, B37 is expected to fly back into the wild after a short recovery.
The school's center is launching a new effort to raise awareness among sport anglers about the perils on wildlife of discarded fishing gear -- even the smallest amounts.
