Family Rescues Young Loon From Frozen Lake
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A loon trapped on a frozen lake is alive and recovering Friday night thanks to the help of one Minnesota family.
The Larson family rescued the bird off of Bottle Lake in northern Minnesota after noticing it hadn't moved in days and wasn't eating.
"We just felt really bad for him and wanted to do something but we weren't really sure what yet," said 9-year-old Ronia Larson.
The family contacted the DNR for guidance and set out on their rescue mission. They caught the whole thing in this YouTube video.
Ronia narrates the video that shows her dad pulling the bird from the icy water.
"I was so glad we got it and stuff, and so I wanted to run up to the hole but I thought we had to wait," Ronia said.
But the loon was malnourished and had a broken wing. The family brought it to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota in Roseville.
"They saved its life because if the water had frozen he would have been stranded and he would have been out of food," said vet technician Katie Heino.
Since coming to the center on Sunday, the loon has received physical therapy and has eaten 200 minnows a day.
Wildlife Rehabilitation Center officials want to be clear that the Larson family did their homework, and they don't want other people trying to rescue animals without preparation.
"They called the DNR ahead of time, they called people about the process," said Phil Jenni, the center's executive director.
Ronia says she and her sister, Dana, would like to be in animal rescue someday.
"We want to do a rescue center, or some type of nature thing that we can help animals and all of nature," she said.
Since arriving at the center, the loon has gained weight and strength. But it still has a long road to recovery ahead.