After finding the bird entangled and helpless on the beach in the Ōmaha Shorebird Sanctuary, DOC Ranger Dave Wilson recalls “a gannet and its beak suddenly look a lot bigger when you’re contemplating getting hold of it”.
Dave Wilson with untangled gannet. Photo: Denis O’Callahan
This photo was taken in 2011. More than a decade later, Dave still works with DOC and is still out protecting our taonga wildlife as one of the amazing Tamahunga Trappers. After all, wildlife conservation starts with people!
In case you’re wondering, Dave bundled the bird in his jersey so he could safely remove the fishing line. They shared this moment face to face before the gannet returned to the wild.
Fishing inside the Ōmaha Shorebird Sanctuary attracts large black-backed gulls, an arial predator that disturbs nesting dotterels and oystercatchers and risks tiny chicks as they flee for cover.
Our coastal wildlife depends on a community that cares:
• Retrieve lost fishing gear whenever possible
• Dispose of line and tackle responsibly
• Never leave bait or hooks uncovered or unattended