The wild weather on Tuesday led to an unusual roadside drama in Haverfordwest as a family struggled to rescue a gannet which had been blown inland by the storms.
Roger Devonald and Helen Allen were leaving work at County Hall with their son James when they spotted the gannet – one of Britain’s largest sea birds – stranded on the grassy verge in the middle of the busy carriageway.
“Just as we turned out, I could see something out of the corner of my eye but Helen was a bit more astute and said that’s a gannet!” said Roger, who works in Revenues.
“We drove round to the Bristol Trader and parked up there, rushed over and thought what are we going to do?!”
The family phoned their friend David Astins, an expert on birds, for advice and then, with nine-year-old James waiting safely on the pavement, the couple crossed over to try and rescue the bird.
“We couldn’t leave it there,” said Roger. “It didn’t seem to have the energy to fly. It was still very feisty though. I got Helen’s coat and went over to it to try and pick it up, but it was making a noise and snapping at me and then it jumped into the road.
“I thought it’s just going to get run over. Then Helen distracted it and that was my chance to pounce on it with the coat. I didn’t quite have it properly and its head came out and snapped at me again, but then I managed to cover the head and it calmed down.”
Helen, who also works for the Council, added: “He was quite frightened, there was a lot of traffic at that time and bright lights – he didn’t know what was going on or what to do.
“We were a bit shocked to see it in the middle of town.”
They carried the gannet to their car and Helen drove to Fenton Vets, with the bird sitting on Roger’s lap.
“I was a bit worried that its head might pop out of the coat again and bite me!” he said. “But it was quite calm – it was probably exhausted. It was a beautiful bird with a blue beak.”
Helen said it was a great opportunity for James – a pupil at Prendergast CP School – to see a gannet up close. “He’s seen them in the past from a boat but he didn’t realise how big they are,” she added.
The vets checked the gannet and handed it over to the RSPCA the following morning.
But the story unfortunately doesn’t have a happy ending. The RSPCA sadly had to put the gannet to sleep on veterinary advice as it had developed feather lice from which it was unlikely to recover as it had become under-nourished.
“I feel better that we rescued it than left it where it was, even though it’s a very sad outcome,” said Roger.
The RSPCA say that sadly due to the recent bad weather, they are receiving a high number of calls from members of the public about injured wildlife.
A spokesman said: “If you are concerned for the welfare of a wild animal, please watch from a distance to confirm the animal is sick, injured or in need of help, and call the RSPCA’s Cruelty & Advice line on 0300 1234 999.
“Experience is important for the safe handling of animals like gannets as they can be dangerous.”
For more information please visitĀ http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/wildlife/injuredanimals
CaptionĀ
Pictured at Fenton Vets is the gannet which was rescued by Roger Devonald and Helen Allen after becoming stranded outside County Hall in Haverfordwest.
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