An unusual-looking duck trapped in a fishing line in Chicago's Fox River was rescued by firefighters last week.
A group of birdwatchers spotted the young Harlequin duck struggling in the water so they contacted the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors for assistance, Annette Prince, director of the program, told Chicago Tribune.
Others reportedly reached out to the Chicago Bird Monitors program about the same bird weeks prior to this incident because he appeared to be suffering from a leg injury.
Prince called the bird getting trapped in the fishing line was "almost a good misfortune" because with the help of firefighters they were able to capture the duck and mend him back to good health, reported Chicago Tribune.
After x-rays revealed that the duck has infections in both of his feet, veterinarian Dr. Jen Nevis told Chicago Tribune the duck may be too ill to be released back into the wild. It's unsafe for him to go back into the wild unless his feet are completely rehabilitated because he couldn't run on land if he had to.
Although it's unclear if the bird will survive, Prince is praising all of the people who came together to rescue the duck from the water. If there were no intervention, the duck would have died in the water.
"That's making a positive statement that that bird mattered," Prince told Chicago Tribune. "It's not just something we would ignore. It shows real respect to nature and the value of animal life. If there's a way to give him some care, we want to give him a chance."
