A group of Santa Clarita residents are doing what they can to rescue a coot, a type of bird that is similar to a duck, that has had its foot tangled in fishing line for weeks.   Former Santa Clarita resident Nancy Howles, Saugus resident Geri Meltzer and Valencia resident Sheila Baicoianu have taken matters into their own hands to rescue the Bridgeport duck, but have had no luck capturing it given its speed.   “Cooter” the coot, named by the residents, swims with a leaf attached to the fishing line on Wednesday, Dec. 18. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal “Those ducks are famous all throughout Santa Clarita. They’re smart, intelligent creatures looking out for their families, and what a wonderful Christmas story [if he’s saved],” Howles said. “So many people go to Bridgeport to enjoy their evenings, and it’s not meant for fishing. I don’t know how the fishing line got in there. It’s heartbreaking that because somebody didn’t follow the rules, this little duck, little coot, had to suffer because of it.”  Howles, Meltzer and Baicoianu, who have contacted various organizations in hopes of rescuing the duck, but to no avail, hope to find the bird soon to ensure its safety.   “We’re afraid that the fishing line tangled around the coot’s leg is going to cut off the leg altogether, and we don’t want to see the bird euthanized,” Meltzer said. “The coot is fast and very smart, and it even has a mate because they mate for life.”  Geri Meltzer sits by the pond in Bridgeport Wednesday evening to attempt to rescue the coot on Dec. 18. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal Meltzer and Baicoianu are hoping to catch the coot themselves, taking any step necessary to ensure the longevity of its life.  “I will be going out at night, because I heard that coots don’t fly at night. We can’t dive — there are poisonous waters and we shouldn’t have a scuba diver, so I’m at a loss,” Meltzer said. “I can start a GoFundMe, and we could get it a vet. My vet fixes, you know, exotic animals. We also want to spread the word to the homeowners association.”  As the posts are spreading throughout Nextdoor, a neighborhood social application, Meltzer is hoping neighbors can bring a throw net for fishing to attempt to reel the coot in.  “You can see that he’s much smaller now, way smaller than the others. I don’t know if he can dive down. When I first saw him [on Thursday], he couldn’t get up on land, but he can get up now. He sort of flaps his wings and flies a couple of feet then lands on one foot,” Baicoianu said.  According to a spokesperson from the Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control Castaic Care Center, who declined to provide her name, officials were called to the Bridgeport pond on Dec. 14 and 16, but were unable to locate the duck.  Residents who may be able to assist are encouraged to call Meltzer at: 818-522-6689.  The post Residents attempt to save Bridgeport duck  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.