By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-12-05 23:11:49 | Updated at 2024-12-22 16:23:17
2 weeks ago
A veterinarian in Brazil captured a heartbreaking image of a heron with a plastic cup stuck in its throat
Jeferson Pires, a veterinarian and biologist, was driving in Rio de Janeiro on Monday when he encountered the bird.
Pires approached the animal and was able to take a handful of photos before it flew toward a tree.
'This is the result of the irresponsibility of people who dispose of their trash incorrectly and throw it in irregular places, even though it is a large city that has a garbage collection system,' he wrote in a post on his Instagram account.
'Of course, reducing the use of plastic could also reduce the chance of this happening, but unfortunately people still do not care that much about our environment and believe that this happens far from where they live.'
He wondered how much longer the bird can survive, telling DailyMail.com that he believes the animal swallowed the cup the same day he took the photo.
'If he was fed, I believe he would survive for about five days,' Pires said.
Jeferson Pires, a veterinarian and biologist, was driving in Rio de Janeiro on Monday when he encountered the bird
Pires fears that the presence of the cup in the heron's neck will prevent it from consuming food
A veterinarian and biologist, Pires specializes in the care of wild animals and surgery
In his Instagram post, Pires recalled having to remove the head of a Peppa Pig toy from an alligator's stomach.
'It is worth remembering that the ones that come to my care must not be one hundredth of those that are really affected,' he wrote.
'Most of them become isolated and die without anyone being able to rescue them. A slow and painful death that affects millions of animals around the world, every day.'
Pires told DailyMail.com that he spent Wednesday and Thursday trying to locate the heron but was unable to find it, due to the area being difficult to access.
Pires' greatest concern is that the bird, identified as a Cocoi heron, the largest species of heron in Latin America, could fall victim to a another animal searching for food.
'Wild animals hide their pain a lot, otherwise they end up being quickly preyed upon,' he explained.
While Pires said he has seen many animals with plastic in their stomachs, 'I have never had a case like this in my 20 years treating these animals.'
The veterinarian and a local wildlife center are making a joint effort to monitor and rescue the bird.
