BILLY DEAN RESCUES PROTECTED GREAT BLUE HERON WHILE VACATIONING ON THE GULF COAST
Nashville, Tenn. (April 19, 2012) – Last week while vacationing on the Gulf Coast, country music star Billy Dean rescued a Great Blue Heron, a protected species, from an abandoned fishing line and lures. The bird was trapped in a fisherman’s line, leaving it immobilized with multiple lures in its wings.
Dean had just finished a three day concert series at his farm and was spending time with family members on the coast. Dean and his wife Stephanie were walking along Mexico Beach when they noticed a group of teenagers in deep water, attempting to cover the injured bird with a towel and bring it to shore. Dean went out to the group of high school students and with the bird biting his hands, grabbed it by its feet and carried it out of the water.
“The bird was live but had several cuts and was clearly distressed,” says Dean. “A fisherman must have cut the line but it was hard to determine how long it had been trapped. Though we did get the bird to safety, I did end up with a nice gash on my pickin’ finger… those Blue Heron bites aren’t pretty.”
Dean was proud of the young students who went out to rescue the bird. “The girls of Port St. Joe High School and a few other vacationers were the true heroes but I was fortunate to have been there to help them untangle the bird and bring it to shore,” he notes.
Dean and his wife called the local wildlife management who took the protected species to treat its multiple wounds and rehabilitate it back to health before releasing it back into the wild.
For additional information on Billy Dean, visit www.billydean.com.