Based on the signs we suspected this was a gunshot wound, but an x-ray revealed that it was actually a fishing hook that must have entered the egret's body and migrated until it got stuck in the throat area. In the x-ray you can see that the hook posed a real threat to the egret's life - it was positioned right over its trachea 😨
Every moment was critical, and the egret immediately underwent emergency surgery to remove the hook, performed by Dr. Michael Vodovozov.
This story and many others proves how lethal our trash can be to wild animals! So be kind to them - and to yourselves - put your trash in the garbage can, not in nature