Additional Coverage:
Injured Cormorant “Checks In” to German ER, Gets VIP Treatment
BREMEN, Germany – In a truly remarkable display of animal instinct and human compassion, an injured cormorant, a sleek black seabird, seemingly presented itself for medical attention by pecking at the emergency room door of a Bremen hospital. Medical staff quickly noticed the distressed bird, which had a triple fishing hook lodged in its beak, and promptly called in the experts: local firefighters.
The unusual patient made its presence known at the glass door of the Klinikum Links der Weser hospital on Sunday. Recognizing the bird’s urgent need, hospital staff and firefighters collaborated to carefully remove the embedded fishhook and treat the wound.
“When an injured cormorant does approach humans, it is usually an animal in extreme distress that has lost its natural shyness,” explained the Bremen firefighter department in a statement. Indeed, a fishhook in a cormorant’s beak poses significant risks, including infection, severe pain, and even starvation, due to the bird’s inability to feed.
Following its successful treatment, the cormorant was released back into the wild on the hospital’s park grounds, hopefully with a newfound appreciation for public healthcare. This incident serves as a heartwarming reminder of the unexpected ways wildlife can seek help and the dedicated efforts of those who respond.