Entangled bird saved – with hypnotism
Soon he was a mere metre from the now totally mesmerized bird
MZINGAZI Waterfront Village residents Dranus Vermeulen and Kevin Lithgow recently saw first-hand how dangerous discarded fishing line is to the birdlife in the harbour.
Dranus, an avid stand-up board paddler, noticed a pair of African Darters during a morning paddle, of which one had a long piece of fishing line trailing behind it.
Knowing this would hinder the bird from feeding, Dranus knew he had to somehow capture the bird and remove the line.
As a young man he had been fascinated with hypnotism, and wondered if he could somehow use this to catch the bird.
The darter was about 10m away and Dranus, placing his feet slightly apart and slowly swaying from one foot to the other, approached it slowly.
He extended his one arm, swinging it also back and forth at the same time as swaying his body.
Soon he was a mere metre from the now totally mesmerized bird, and while it was watching the swaying arm, he shot out his other hand, grasping it.
Dranus’s summoned his neighbour, Kevin Lithgow, to fetch a pair of side-cutters with which to cut away the fishing line.
After being released, it has since been seen fishing around from the jetties with its mate every day, having fully recovered from its ordeal.
Dranus and Kevin urge local fishermen to clean up after themselves and to make sure that fishing line and all other rubbish go into bins, either in those provided in the harbour or at home.
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