A young kookaburra named Ollie has undergone emergency surgery after being found choking on a discarded shoelace in Sydney's northern beaches. The juvenile bird was discovered hanging from a tree with the shoelace stuck in his mouth, blocking food and water from reaching his intestines.
Veterinarians at Sash Hospital performed the life-saving operation, noting that Ollie likely mistook the shoelace for a snake or worm. “It was blocking any food and water from getting through into his intestines and so he certainly would have perished if it wasn’t removed,” they said.
Ollie is now recovering well, but vets have issued a plea for people to clean up their rubbish. They expressed frustration over the number of wildlife cases involving litter, such as fish hooks and other debris. “Human litter is a huge cause of wildlife deaths and morbidities,” they warned.
The hospital hopes Ollie will make a full recovery, calling him one of the lucky ones. “He’s been quite a charming chap. But most importantly, he’s alive,” the vets added.
