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Northern Gannet Died With Fish Hook In Stomach

By R. Siva Kumar | Update Date: Feb 25, 2016 08:46 AM EST

A Northern gannet bird was discovered with a strange fish hook in its stomach, and a couple of gunshot wounds too. It had been brought to the South Florida Wildlife Center in Fort Lauderdale for "life-saving surgery".

But it just died the following day.

"You could definitely see a string, and the gentleman felt his neck and you could feel the [hook] in his throat. We knew he was in bad shape," said Deborah Dexter, a woman who was trying to save the bird, according to CBS News.

"We did this quick X-ray while he was awake and there's a very large hook in his stomach," said Dr. Antonia Gardner. The two small pellets too have been found---one pellet lodged in his wing and the other near the back and the abdomen.

"It was a tricky surgery," added Gardner. She performed it on Tuesday.

But the recovery was known to be tough. "I kind of give him a 50-50 chance, maybe a little less because of the perforation. We don't know how much damage, how long it was there," said Gardner after the surgery.

But today, the doctors finally declared that he was dead. The Northern gannet has crossed over to the other end. There is, at least, a message that it conveys---you need to dispose of your hooks and fishing lines properly.

"It makes me feel like we all have to take care of our world and clean up our mess," said rescuer Lori Leveen.

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