An injured loon got a free road trip to the big city on Tuesday. Fort McMurray’s Northern Veterinary Services got a call Monday morning about a hurt common loon found at an industrial plant near Christina Lake North. The bird flew into a pipe rack, got stuck and fell to the ground, injuring its left wing in the process. Dr. Jessicca Fielding examined the bird in the clinic and found superficial wounds on its left wrist joints and wing membranes. It was given some pain meds and fluids. It was the northern emergency vet’s first common loon since opening in 2019, although Fielding had seen one as a patient years ago at another centre in town, a spokesperson said. With no broken bones, the bird was a candidate for assessment and rehabilitation at WILDNorth in Edmonton. It just had no way of getting there. Tuesday morning, staff with Northern Veterinary Services posted a callout to Facebook asking for volunteers to drive an uncommon passenger to the capital city. A couple hours later, a good Samaritan – not a regular volunteer – on their way to Edmonton picked him up and brought him to the rehab facility. “We are very hopeful for his recovery, as he was very spunky, vocal and willingly ate while floating comfortably in a bath,” the Fort McMurray centre told CTV News Edmonton. All loons are protected by Canadian federal law and can’t be hunted. The common loon especially is of concern for conservation given its low breeding success, according to the Canadian Wildlife Federation. Common loons also can’t walk on land due to the positioning of their feet near the back of their bodies, and require water for takeoff and fishing for food, meaning the goal of this loon’s trip to Edmonton is to be returned to the wild as quickly as possible.
