8:06 am, January 14, 2024
A luxury car dealership in south London had a surprise visit from on high when an injured swan crash-landed at its premises.
The swan, which had a fish hook piercing his tongue, fell to earth at the Porsche Centre in Sidcup just before Christmas and was unable to fly away.
He was spotted outside the high-end premises, which prompted an urgent response from the RSPCA.
The bird was collected by Brian Milligan, one of the charity’s rescue officers, who took the stricken creature to RSPCA Mallydams Wood for treatment.
Thankfully, the swan was successfully nursed back to full health and staff were able to release him back into the wild on January 2.
The officer said: ‘The swan had crash-landed by a car dealership and was unable to escape.
‘When I arrived, I noticed he had a hook in his tongue which fell out when touched, so I took him to Mallydams for treatment.
‘He was started on a course of antibiotics and pain relief for the wound to his tongue caused by the fishing hook – which is sadly another reminder as to the dangers discarded fishing litter can pose to wildlife.
‘It took him a little while to eat due to a combination of stress and the injury to his tongue, so he was tube-fed for several days until he began to self-feed.
‘He responded well to the antibiotics and the wound healed nicely.
‘Fortunately, he was successfully released back into the wild in nearby Danson Park on 2 January.’
In response to the incident, the RSPCA has reminded the public to get in contact if they ever witness a distressed or neglected animal.
Images provided by the RSPCA
