A lucky loon that had unfortunately become entangled in a fishing rig recently got a new lease on life after wading up to a Sundre resident who was camping near Nordegg with his wife and son.
A lucky loon that had unfortunately become entangled in a fishing rig recently got a new lease on life after wading up to a Sundre resident who was camping near Nordegg with his wife and son.
Don Gibson, who lives just east of town north of Highway 27 up River Road, was enjoying some time at Shunda Lake with his wife Jen, a Grade 6 teacher at River Valley School, and their 12-year-old son Carter. They were spending some time on the dock during the afternoon of Saturday, Aug. 12 when Jen noticed the loon uncharacteristically approaching them.
"I really didn't believe that it was real," Don told the Round Up last week.
"I thought somebody was playing a joke and that it was a little RC toy or something."
Having lived in Ontario for many years, which provided the opportunity to see the birds on numerous occasions, he said loons are generally not known to willingly come so close to people. But as the animal in distress grew nearer, he realized it was the real deal.
"That's when I saw that fishing rig that was wrapped all around it."
Known in the world of fishing as a pickerel jig — an apparatus with two baited hooks that is weighted down to sit just above the lakebed — the line was wrapped around the loon's bill and leg, rendering the bird unable to even wade properly. Making matters worse, a hook had embedded itself into the back of the bird's neck.
"He couldn't swim, dive or fly or anything. He was pretty caught up, his days were almost numbered," Don said during a phone interview, adding the waterfowl probably would not have lasted another day had he or someone else not cut loose the fishing line.
The struggle to free itself left the loon lethargic, which is why Don surmised the bird so calmly allowed him to pick it up. A campground attendant made available some snips that Don did not hesitate to put to use.
"I was quite surprised," he said, adding he had not realized just how much fishing line had wrapped around the loon.
The impromptu operation lasted about 10 or 15 minutes. Although he wanted to free the bird as quickly as possible to minimize the stress the animal endured, Don also worked carefully and deliberately to avoid startling the loon or making it panic.
"I tried to be as swift and safe as possible," he said, adding his unexpected patient "did not put up one bit of fuss. He knew we weren't there to harm him — he was smart enough to find someone to help."
Releasing the loon and watching it wade away to rejoin its flock "was amazing," said Don, adding he could hardly believe what happened next.
"No word of a lie, he turned to us about 15 to 20 feet out from shore, giving us a big flap of the wings, staring right at us. It was a 'thank you' for sure."
Although he has the pictures to prove it, he admitted that he would have been rather skeptical had he heard such a tale from anyone else.
"If someone told me all of that, I'd have a hard time believing this whole story!"
But the way everything transpired — from the calm conditions and still water down to the uncannily "perfect" timing — left Don with the unshakable impression the encounter simply "was meant to be."
