© KEYSTONE/MARTIAL TREZZINI
In Geneva, the gull, which had gotten stuck in the structure of the cross of the Saint-Joseph church, found Lake Geneva on Wednesday. He had been treated since November at the Ornithological Rehabilitation Center (COR) in Genthod.
Completely recovered from his misadventure, this yellow-legged gull was released in the harbor of Geneva following receiving Maya’s blessing. The 4-year-old girl had attended the entire rescue operation in the cold. Father Thierry Schelling of the parish of Saint-Joseph had then offered her to be the godmother of the bird which she chose to call “Casimir”.
In turn, the abbot blessed the gull, considering that the solidarity that had shown up to help him was an encouragement “to be men and women of peace” in these troubled times. “Have a good trip and long live freedom!” he said, as the bird was released back into the lake by one of his rescuers. “These are moving moments”, noted Patrick Jacot, director of the COR.
A crane
On Saturday, November 20, firefighters had taken several hours to free this gull. “It was impossible to reach the cross located 48 meters high with the ladder or to go through the interior of the bell tower, which was completely closed”, recalled Lieutenant Stéphane Pache, of the Fire and Rescue Service. from Geneva.
Finally, a crane had made it possible to reach the bird under the gaze of dozens of curious people. “We weren’t going to let him die there,” noted the lieutenant. The operation, which had mobilized nine professional firefighters and had required blocking part of the traffic on the Place des Eaux-Vives, ended around 3:00 p.m.
fractured bone
Wounded to the wings due to its repeated attempts to free itself, the gull was taken care of by the COR. He had open wounds. An X-ray revealed a fracture in the furcula, a bone that connects the two collarbones and is essential for the bird to be able to fly properly. A restraint in a cage allowed this bone, which cannot be operated on, to heal.
Several treatments were necessary, and the one-year-old gull was placed in the aviary in December for rehabilitation accompanied by physiotherapy sessions. He started flying once more at the end of January. On Wednesday, he spent a few moments on the water among seagulls and ducks then flew a little further under the eyes of his rescuers and journalists.