Lifeboat rescues bird caught in netted bag off Fife coast
A large seabird has been rescued by a lifeboat crew off the Fife coast after they saw it tangled in a netted bag.
The gannet was off Kinghorn Ness with a bag caught around its neck and foot, and it was unable to fly.
As the Kinghorn RNLI Lifeboat passed the bird one of the crew managed to grab it and was bitten by the gannet.
He then removed the bag and took it back to shore. The gannet is now being cared for by the Scottish SPCA. The charity said the bird was weak.
Thomas Wibberley, of Kinghorn RNLI Lifeboat, said they named the gannet, Janet.
He said: "We were out on one of our weekly exercises when helmsman Billy McAndrew noticed that a gannet hadn't flown away like normal when we passed.
"We turned round and saw that the gannet had a large red net bag on stuck round its neck and legs.
'We went alongside it and Billy managed to catch the bird from the boat, although he did get bitten once.
"We got the bird into the lifeboat where we removed the bag from the bird. The bird had some strength, but wasn't flapping like it should so we took it back to the lifeboat station where we called the Scottish SPCA.
He added: "This was a more unusual task for us, but it was satisfying that we were able to help the bird as undoubtedly, it would otherwise not have survived."