FEARS have been raised for wildlife in Coate Water Country Park after swans were seen with fishing hooks impaled through their beaks.

Shocked visitors spotted swans with fishing lure lines protruding from their beaks, with small bait fish attached to the end.

The lines have razor sharp hooked ends and can cause serious or even fatal injuries to the feeding birds if untreated.

Residents have had to intervene to save the swans’ lives with park rangers also stepping in to free swans from hooks and lines.

Warnings have gone out to anglers who use the popular fishing spot to ensure they clean up any fishing lines or hooks in the area.

Stephen Knight, trustee of the Swan Sanctuary, which treats birds from the Swindon area, said fishing hooks and lines could cause horrific or fatal injuries to birds.

“In this case, if a fishing lure gets hooked in a beak it will disable the mouth and the swan will slowly starve to death, and it is agonising for them,” he said.

“There are injuries caused by bad casting, where a line is thrown and ends up in the wrong place dangling into the water. A swan comes along feeding and swallows this. This can rip the throat open. Of course the swan will continue eating with food building up resulting in a huge bulge in the throat. If not helped the swan will slowly starve to death.

“A line can get entangled round the swan’s body and prevent them from moving or flapping their wings or break their legs or wings.”

Stephen said he believed education for fishermen was the key to solving the problem. “This problem gets worse over the summer holidays. Young people should be educated on how to fish properly and of course, people should never litter.

“It is not pleasant to see any animal injured because of the acts of a human. Wildlife already faces enough of a struggle to survive without the intervention of humans.”

A Swindon Borough Council spokesman said park rangers had warned fishermen to consider the local wildlife and dispose of tackle safely.

“Birds becoming entangled in discarded fishing line or getting their beaks caught on hooks is unfortunately an ongoing issue. In the past week, two instances of this happening to swans at Coate Water have been reported to our ranger team, who try to assist and, if necessary, are also supported by the local Swan Sanctuary or vets.

“Our rangers, when checking permits and liaising with anglers, do stress the importance of disposing of any fishing tackle safely so it presents no potential danger to wildlife. We thank them for their co-operation with this matter.”

An RSPB spokesman added: “This shows how important it is that anglers take their fishing tackle home with them and how dangerous it can be for wild birds if it is left behind for them to try to eat, or get tangled-up in. We very much hope this particular swan gets the attention it needs to continue enjoying life in the wild.”