(KRON) — Park officials in Marin County are warning of the dangers of not packing out all fishing gear after a young waterbird was recently found injured.
The juvenile pied-billed grebe tried to swallow fishing tackle at Stafford Lake Park and ended up with a hook piercing its eyelid and cheek, according to Marin County Parks. Rangers responded to the injured bird and were able to safely remove the hook.
After receiving the OK from Marin Humane, the rangers released it back into the wild. Pied-billed grebes are year-round residents in the Bay Area.
“Watching it swim away was the best reward for our team!” park officials wrote on a social media post.
The post reminds people that lost fishing gear can harm wildlife. “Always pack it out!” Marin County Parks wrote…