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Animal conservation workers teamed up with firefighters in upstate New York to save a loon that had become trapped on a frozen lake. The bird had seemingly spent several days there.
The Adirondack Center for Loon Conservation worked with the Star Lake Fire and Rescue team to save the bird. According to a blog post on the ACLC’s website, residents first started reported sightings of the loon on Christmas morning, although rescue crews didn’t become involved until Dec. 28.
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Loons are a heavy bird and require a lot of space in order to take off. (iStock)
The ACLC explained that loons are heavy birds and need about 400 meters (1,312 feet) of open water in order to build up enough speed to properly take off.
This bird had seemingly landed on the lake at one point and then got stuck. The size of the hole in the ice didn’t give the bird enough space to take off.
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The loon was released on Lake Champlain, where there was enough open water for it to take off. (iStock)
If it had not been rescued, nearby predators such as eagles likely would’ve attacked the loon.
The firefighters teamed up with ACLC workers to trap the loon, which was a complicated task. Since the birds are able to quickly dive under the water, catching one can be difficult.
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Fortunately, the crews were able to use a large net and successfully captured the bird without incident. It was then taken to Lake Champlain, where there was plenty of open water for it to properly take off. The ACLC believes the bird likely resumed its seasonal migration after taking off from Lake Champlain.