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Hanging
This young osprey had become entangled in twine that was gathered as nesting material.
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Rescuers arrive
Rescuers arrived in the form of Bernie Holz with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department and Mike Wright with Rocky Mountain Power.
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Making plan
Bernie and Mike confer for a quick plan of action.
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Limp bird
The young osprey hangs limp in exhaustion.
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Gearing up
Bernie and Mike get into safety harnesses in preparation for the rescue ahead.
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Going in
Mike and Bernie ride the bucket up toward the nesting platform. While the tangled bird hangs below, its sibling watches from the safety of the nest.
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Hovering mother
The mother osprey hovers above during the entire operation.
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Folding wings
Bernie gently folds the osprey's wings to its body so the process of untangling the bird can begin.
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Cutting
Mike begins the process of cutting the bird from the main tangle.
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Mother osprey
The mother osprey had a part of a fish firmly grasped in her talons during the rescue work Tuesday.
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Almost done
Mike and Bernie finish untangling the twine wrapped around the bird's leg and wing.
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Fish
The adult female carried the fish in her flights around the nest for more than 30 minutes.
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Hover and scream
The hovering mother "screamed" and
harassed the men as they worked.
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Looks good
Although no major damage was visible, the bird had struggled and hung upside down for more than an hour.
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Back to nest
With Mike guiding the bucket, and with supervision from above, Bernie places the osprey back into the nest.
Whether it will be able to survive its ordeal is unknown.
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