Rescued bittern released into wild
03 Mar 10
A rare bittern found injured at the RSPB's Dungeness reserve in November has been released back into the wild.
The bittern was injured by an overhead cable and was nursed at the RSPCA's Mallydams Wood wildlife centre in Hastings, Kent.
It was treated with stitches and antibiotics as it suffered from a large wound on the underside of its wing and a fracture with extensive bruising.
Staff at the animal rescue centre described the bird's recovery as an "emotional roller coaster" because it needed frequent treatment and the wintry weather did not allow for housing it outside and releasing it.
The RSPB stated that care by professionals was necessary to help the injured bird recover.
Richard Thompson, wildlife officer at RSPCA, said initially, staff at the rescue centre treated the bird daily in isolation to prevent starvation and stress.
On January 18, the bird was moved to an outside aviary and was monitored with CCTV, before being released this week.
He said: "This is the first bittern ever admitted to Mallydams and its significance as a rare breeding and wintering bird cannot be underestimated.
"The number of bitterns is increasing, but every individual is important for the UK population's recovery."
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http://www.rspb.org.uk/ (RSPB)
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