An owl had to be rescued after becoming trapped in a discarded fishing line in an Edinburgh canal.
The poor bird was spotted hanging over a section of the Union Canal in Ratho when a member of the local recovery charity The Sorted Project was on a canal boat across the water.
They spotted the owl in distress and managed to untangle it from the wire and called the Scottish SPCA who sent an officer out to meet the barge, reports the Record.
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Thankfully the owl made a full recovery after being tired from trying to free itself but was later released as a warning was issued to people fishing in the canal to avoid a repeat of the incident.
Scottish SPCA animal rescue officer, Catherine Atterton, said: "I received a report of an owl trapped in a discarded fishing line next to Union Canal. The caller was passing by on their canal boat and spotted the animal in distress.
"Luckily, they managed to free the owl and were keeping the bird secure on their boat until I arrived.
"When I got there I examined the bird and managed to remove the rest of the fishing line from their left wing. Luckily it did not cause any obvious injuries. The poor animal was just exhausted from the whole ordeal.
"I let the owl rest for a while with a hot water bottle. After regaining their strength, I released them back into the wild. I would like to thank the caller for helping the bird and bringing this to our attention.
"Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident. Fishing or roping line can cause life-threatening injuries to animals and we ask anybody using this equipment to please make sure they take this away with them and discard it in a safe manner.
"If anyone does find a wild animal trapped in any sort of wire or rope then please call our animal helpline on 03000 999 999."
The Sorted Project thanked the SSPCA and looked back on what was an eventful afternoon for their new volunteers.
Speaking on Facebook a spokesperson said: "We spotted an owl in distress, hanging from a discarded fishing line.
"With careful skill and epic teamwork, we managed to cut the owl free and provide some warmth and shelter on our way back to Ratho until a member of the Scottish SPCA team arrived. Thank you!
"With the tangled fishing line removed, the owl seemed much happier, although completely exhausted."
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