The Wildlife Rescue Association is asking the public not to leave litter and fishing line around local waterways, after an endangered Western painted turtle was brought into the centre with a fishing hook through its cheek.
Laura Evans, one of the association's wildlife rehabilitators, was at Burnaby Lake on Wednesday evening, when she spotted the turtle. At first, she though it was entangled in fishing wire, but it was actually caught on a hook belonging to a man fishing on the dock.
The two tried to remove the barb, but there was too much blood, so the reptile was taken to the association's care centre, headquartered at the lake. Staff removed the hook, the wound healed quickly, and the turtle was released in the water and swam away.
"Most of the time we treat animals that become entangled in discarded fishing line. In this instance, people were feeding the animals off the dock while others were fishing. Unfortunately, all of the animals flocking for food were put in danger," said Evans. "Staff at Wildlife Rescue have seen some terrible injuries caused by fishing hooks and fishing line, not just to waterfowl but to birds of prey, reptiles and mammals. ... We just want to remind everyone that fishing line and other litter can cause suffering and be lethal to wildlife."
The association wants the public to also be careful of feeding animals where people are fishing, as wildlife drawn by food can easily get tangled in the lines.
Western painted turtles are endangered in B.C., yet Burnaby Lake is home to one of the largest known groups of the species.
