01/06/2026
Mama Ranger Diaries
One Stubborn Little Seabird
Last week, at the Lighthouse in South Atoll, the Palau Sport team noticed a Great Crested Tern resting on their bow. ๐ฆ They also noticed a plastic bag around its neck, the kind used to make ice. ๐
The bag had water inside. Later, they would discover sand too, making it heavier each day. ๐ง๐ชฃ
They tried all manner of rescue moves to catch the bird, but it flew off. ๐๐จ
The next day, when the boat was moored at the Ranger Station, the tern appeared again. Same bird. Same plastic bag. Again, the team tried to free it. Again, it escaped. ๐ซฃ
To their surprise, on the third day, the bird had followed them all the way to Bird Islet. ๐๏ธ But this time, it was too tired to escape. The strange necklace it carried had slowly worn it down. Finally, our rescuers were able to catch it, remove the plastic bag, and release it back into the wild. ๐๐ฆโจ
Shout out to Edwin Acuna, John Vallar, Boni Costibolo, Panny Abante, and Cap Ceresio Abano for not giving up on one stubborn little seabird. ๐๐
Letโs make sure our trash never becomes a burden on wildlife, so fewer birds will need rescuing. โป๏ธ๐๐ฆ
