A wildlife charity has urged the public to be vigilant about litter after a robin was found trapped in fly paper.
Secret World Wildlife Rescue described the bird as “clearly distressed and unable to fly” due to the “very sticky” adhesive.
The team at the Highbridge-based centre successfully bathed the bird’s wing to remove the residue, although they noted that the process would need repeating to ensure complete removal.
In a social media post, the charity shared: “This beautiful (and feisty) bird will remain with us to ensure there is no lasting damage to their flight ability before being released back into the wild.”
They highlighted litter’s devastating effects on animals and called for community action to prevent such incidents.
Secret World Wildlife Rescue continued: “This is a lesson for all of us to consider the sorts of items we leave out or to help generally around our communities if we see items of litter.”
They stressed the importance of picking up rubbish, pointing out that while it may take a person a minute to pick up litter, the consequences for wildlife could lead to weeks of rehabilitation.
George Bethell, Head of Education and Public Relations at Secret World Wildlife Rescue, condemned the use of fly paper and glue traps, citing “horrendous injuries to wildlife that are often untreatable.”
He also mentioned that as of March 2024, glue traps have been outlawed in Scotland.
“As you can see from the video, it is quite a labour-intensive process to remove the glue and is stressful for the birds involved.”
“They then have to stay in rehab until their feathers have recovered or regrown.”
