Florida angler attempts to save great blue heron ensnared in fishing line | FOX 35 Orlando
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Florida angler attempts to save great blue heron ensnared in fishing line

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Published  March 26, 2025 11:10pm EDT
Flagler County
FOX 35 Orlando

Florida angler attempts to save great blue heron

A Central Florida angler spotted a great blue heron entangled in fishing line at Herschel King Park. David Clinard snapped photos of the bird. The line was wrapped around the animal’s beak and neck, rendering it unable to eat.

The Brief

    • An angler rescued a great blue heron entangled in a fishing line at Herschel King Park. 
    • Despite his efforts, the bird, malnourished and injured, did not survive. 
    • Wildlife experts highlight the dangers of fishing line entanglement and stress proper disposal.

PALM BAY, Fla. - A Central Florida angler spotted a great blue heron entangled in a fishing line at Herschel King Park. David Clinard snapped photos of the bird. The line was wrapped around the animal’s beak and neck, rendering it unable to eat.

'She was pretty messed up'

What we know:

A Central Florida angler, David Clinard, spotted a great blue heron entangled in a fishing line at Herschel King Park in Flagler County.

The bird had fishing line wrapped around its beak and neck, preventing it from eating. Clinard spent three days gaining the bird’s trust before rescuing it and taking it to the Flagler County Humane Society, who then transported it to St. Augustine.

The area where Clinard found the heron has a monofilament recycling receptacle. The PVC bin is designed specifically for people to discard used line. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), line collected from the receptacles gets cleaned, melted down, then made into other plastic products – just not into more fishing line.

What we don't know:

We don't know the exact source of the fishing line that entangled the heron, or if the bird had been there for an extended period.

The heron’s chances of recovery were uncertain from the start, and ultimately, it didn’t survive.

The backstory:

Clinard, an avid angler, noticed the bird was malnourished and in distress. He attempted to earn its trust by visiting daily, providing food, and hoping the bird would approach him.

This type of incident is not uncommon in the wildlife rehabilitation community, with many birds being brought in for entanglement-related injuries.

Local perspective:

Entanglement of wildlife in fishing lines is a persistent issue for wildlife rehabilitation centers. Karen Ward-Lynch, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, mentioned that about half of the 65 birds in her care are there due to entanglement.

The local community has a recycling program for monofilament fishing line, but the problem remains widespread.

What they're saying:

David Clinard snapped photos of the bird. The line was wrapped around the animal’s beak and neck, rendering it unable to eat.

"She was pretty messed up," Clinard said. "You could tell she was malnourished and not doing well at all."

Clinard spent three days earning the bird’s trust. He showed up every day in the same t-shirt, hoping the bird would recognize him.

"I threw some live shrimp, and she just got really close, and that’s when I made the move," Clinard said. "I got her."

According to Clinard, he cut the line and got the bird into his truck. He took it to the Flagler County Humane Society, who then transported it to St. Augustine.

"This one just didn’t make it," said Karen Ward-Lynch.

Ward-Lynch is a licensed rehabilitator and founder of The ARK Wildlife Rescue and Recovery. Of the 65 birds she currently has in rehab, about half, she said, are entanglement cases.

"It’s just a waste of a beautiful, perfect animal – getting tangled up like that," Ward-Lynch said. "It’s frustrating."

The harsh reality: this could have been avoided.

"I find hooks, all kinds of things out here all the time," Clinard said. "I’m an avid angler; I love it. I do know that you can’t always be perfect… the fish can take your line, the hook, everything… but just be cognizant of what you’re bringing to the field, then taking out what you’re bringing in."

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The Source: This story was written based on information shared by David Clinard, Karen Ward-Lynch, of The ARK Wildlife Rescue and Recovery, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), and the Flagler County Humane Society.

Flagler CountyFWCCentral Florida NewsFloridaWild Nature