Unexpected Visitor: Injured Bird shows up at German ER

Hospital staff in Bremen, Germany, received an unusual visitor when an injured cormorant appeared outside the emergency department and began pecking at the glass door.

The bird, which had a fishing hook lodged in its lower beak, was first noticed after trying multiple entrances to get attention.

Nurse Juliane Andreas and her colleagues assessed the situation and called the fire brigade, who often respond to incidents involving wild animals. Firefighters were able to calmly catch and hold the bird while medical staff examined it.

Together, they carefully opened the bird’s beak, cut the fishing hook and safely removed it. According to staff, the cormorant cooperated throughout the process and showed no additional injuries inside its mouth.

The bird was later released back into the wild. Hospital officials said there is no way of knowing whether the cormorant intentionally sought medical help, but they described it as a fortunate coincidence that the injured animal arrived at a place equipped to assist.

German authorities say the country’s cormorant population remains stable, with a tendency to rise.