A loon that was rescued from a frozen pond near Waterville earlier this month has died.
A person rescued the loon from East Pond in Smithfield on December 7. It had become trapped on the ice and unable to take off.
Maine Audubon says loons typically need 100-160 feet of open water to take off and fly. But during the winter, they can get trapped on rapidly freezing bodies of water. That’s why you usually don’t see them on the lake once the temperatures drop.
The loon was taken to Avian Haven in Freedom. The wildlife rehab center said they had to put the loon down a week after it was rescued.
They said it had been suffering from frostbite and later developed an infection.