A heron spread its wings and took flight over a river in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, after which veterinarians saved it from almost certain death by removing the plastic cup attached to its neck and blocking its throat.
The mission to save the bird sparked outrage over the impact of plastic pollution on wildlife in Brazil, a city famous for its wooded mountains that overlook the seaside metropolis.
As its cage opened, the slender heron hesitated for a moment before jumping out and leaping into the air, its white-grey wings carrying it over the river in Rio’s Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood.
“God willing, it won’t find any plastic or cups along the way,” said Jefferson Pires, a wildlife center animal biologist who first saw the unfortunate animal this month and posted about its plight on social media. Was.
The logo of the popular 200-ml (6.7-ounce) guarana fruit-flavored drink was clearly visible on the heron’s neck before it was captured last Friday. The video shows him struggling in vain to lift the cup with his orange beak.
“What we saw today with this heron in these two weeks is how much these animals are affected by plastic,” said environmentalist Isabelle de Loys after the bird was freed.
Pires said the blockage was preventing him from eating and would likely have led to starvation within days without surgery.
The carnivorous heron was seen at one place vomiting a fish which it was unable to swallow because of the cup. Pires said the wounds on the bird’s long neck were probably caused by such unsuccessful attempts to eat, which caused it to lose a little weight.
After Pires’ early posts, the heron became an environmental symbol. Its saga received coverage from Brazil’s major newspapers and broadcasters, and sparked online outrage over the harm caused by single-use plastics.
After the cup was surgically removed, Pires said he was eager to release the beautiful bird back into nature.
“We saw no reason to hold him,” he said.
This bird, known to scientists as the Cocoi Heron, is the largest species of heron found in Latin America, closely related to the Great Blue Heron.
Their habitat extends from Panama to the southern tip of South America. These birds weigh up to 3 kg (7 lb) and have a wingspan of about 40 cm (16 in).
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