Rescued platypus dies after he’s trapped in drainage with zip tie around his neck
UPDATE: The platypus died several days after he was rescued in Australia, according to officials.
“The sad update is that although the rescued platypus was in the best of veterinarian care it did not survive the trauma of the ordeal along with the severe wound under its front leg caused by the pressure of the cable tie,” a WIRES spokesperson told McClatchy News on Sept. 28 in an email.
“It serves as a reminder to the public and industry to please responsibly dispose of all plastics and netting as they are increasingly causing entanglement issues for wildlife — often with fatal outcomes like this one,” the spokesperson said.
The original story is below.
A platypus is in recovery after he was rescued from drainage, according to an Australia wildlife organization.
WIRES Wildlife Rescue said it was alerted to a platypus that was trapped in a shallow drainage next to wetlands, according to a Sept. 22 Instagram post. Rescuers found the critter with a zip tie tightened around his neck and front arm.
“Whilst the platypus was in great pain, it was still relatively bright, alert and strong,” the organization said in its post.
After freeing the platypus, a rescuer transported him to a local vet for assessment, according to the post. The creature is now in the care of the vet and will receive treatment until he is healthy enough to be released.
The creature was rescued from a wetlands area in Kingston, Tasmania, a WIRES spokesperson said in an email to McClatchy News.
Social media commenters shared their outrage at the situation.
“There is always plastic...everywhere,” one person wrote on Instagram. “The pond where we live always has something floating. Why do humans not understand the dangers.”
“Only takes a second to cut these. Please consider & save a precious life,” a person said on Facebook.
“Sad that so much wildlife suffers from human disregard for the environment,” another Facebook comment said.
This story was originally published September 27, 2023 at 4:04 PM.
