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A seagull found 'listless' on a beach after swallowing two fish hooks could not be saved.
Carol Knott was walking along the shore at Deal on Tuesday when she came across the struggling, juvenile Herring Gull.
She called on the RSPCA for advice and travelled 40 minutes to Canterbury to access emergency care for the bird.
But the hooks inside its mouth and stomach could not be safely removed and the creature was put to sleep.
Ms Knott is now asking 'lazy and inconsiderate' fishermen to be more careful of how they dispose of their tackle.
She said: "As I approached it, I saw that it had fishing line hanging from its mouth.
"On closer investigation, I found that it had swallowed a fishing hook, which had lodged in the poor thing’s throat, obviously rendering it unable to feed and hence why it was so subdued.
"I was able to pick the bird up, but there was no way I could remove the hook; the gull seemed very trusting and hardly struggled, although it must have been in pain.
"There was no way the vets could save it as they discovered it had actually swallowed two fish hooks, with one in its throat and one in its stomach. Sadly, it had to be put to sleep.
"The poor bird must have been in agony. The only consolation is that it was spared a slow and painful death caused by the actions of a thoughtless and uncaring fisherman."
Ms Knott says it is not the first time she has stumbled across a bird in this state or hooks on the beach.
Two days later in Walmer her dog found another hook.
"Animals just see this as a meal, swallow the hook along with the bait, and sign their own death warrant."
She continued: "Luckily I managed to retrieve it before the dog had eaten it, but imagine the pain and suffering it would have caused her if I hadn't been so quick.
"Or think of what could have happened if a child had found the hook.
"I’m sure the majority of fishermen are careful of how they dispose of their tackle, but it seems to be getting more common to find discarded hooks, often with scraps of bait attached, left on the beach.
"Animals just see this as a meal, swallow the hook along with the bait, and sign their own death warrant.
"Please, fishermen, enjoy yourselves, but respect your environment and think of all the other creatures who call the sea their home!"
The RSPCA says it sees many animals arriving into its care with terrible injuries caused by angling litter such as discarded fishing line, hooks and weights.
Waterfowl and gulls are often admitted to the RSPCA’s four wildlife centres with nasty wounds caused by these items.
A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “The majority of anglers do dispose of their litter properly and it is frustrating that those who don’t possibly don’t realise how dangerous it is to animals.
"Discarded line in particular is a terrible hazard for wildlife, particularly as it can be almost invisible.
“We strongly urge those who enjoy fishing to be extra cautious to make sure nothing is left behind. Most anglers are very responsible when disposing of their litter, but it only takes one careless person to endanger the life of an animal. We ask that all those who enjoy fishing to follow the Angling Trust Take 5 campaign and make use of the recycling scheme to dispose of their waste tackle.
“If members of the public see discarded litter we would encourage them to pick it up safely and put it in the bin, remembering to wash their hands after. Their action could save an animal’s life.”
