Hi Everyone, Back in June, the USDA and the New York DEC slaughtered a swan family on Oneida Lake. Their excuse was that a kayaker was attacked and the situation was a health / safety isssue. https://www.newyorkupstate.com/outdoors/2018/06/killing_most_fowl_shooting_drowning_of_beloved_oneida_lake_mute_swan_family.html                                               

 Per the USDA: Tanya Espinosa,Public Affairs Specialist Legislative and Public Affairs,USDA-APHIS, Phone: (301) 851-4092 :

"Regarding the Mute Swans at Oneida Lake, the adults were able to fly and therefore catching them may not have been possible and is a difficult and time consuming process. That process would have been more stressful for the birds and the community and also risked injury to the birds as well as injury to our employees.  Therefore we determined that removing the adults using firearms (shot in the head), an AVMA-approved method of euthanasia, was decided.  The cygnets were netted, alive, and removed outside of the public eye, where they were humanely euthanized by cervical dislocation (meaning their necks were snapped), another AVMA-approved method of euthanasia.  I want to clarify that neither a pair of bolt cutters nor a bovine emasculator was used in the humane euthanasia of the adults or the cygnets."

In my opinion, they were not too worried about the birds being stressed if they were killing them anyway. There is a moratorium on killing swans in New York, yet these agencies continue to kill. They do not investigate these claims, they just go out and kill the bird or birds. Many times they kill the male swan and leave the female with the babies. 

It is so important that people in the US write to the candidates running in their states, especially the ones running for Governor and Congress, and ask them their views on Wildlife Services, the DNR and the DEC and express your concerns with these agencies. If they are new candidates, they may have no idea what is happening with our swans or our wildlife. In Michigan, The Governor appoints the DNR officials, I would imagine it's the same in most states. Please feel free to share your responses from the candidates on the Help Our Waterfowl Facebook Page. We do not have much time, so please write them ASAP.      

Also, recently a swan, now named Milton, was in a pond in  Toledo, Ohio that was poisoned by the city. I was informed that the EPA report showed raw waste sewage, chlorine, and the pond was treated with a chemical to kill mosquitoes. I was informed that there were dead fish floating in the pond and Milton and the ducks had all left.

It had been very hot and  Milton was later found on someone's property no where near water and was sick and starving.  After capture, as a couple days went by, Milton could not walk or even hold his head up. The vet had to take him home for 4 days and tube feed him and run fluids into his body with meds to try to flush out his system. He was sent home and had to be tube fed for 12 more days and is still on meds.

A couple months Prior to this happening to Milton, rescuers were called out because Milton had a fish hook and line wrapped around his beak and mouth. The homeowners who live on the contaminated pond, called the police on the rescuers because they did not want the swan to be taken away. They enjoyed watching the swan. The rescuers had to leave. Thankfully, the hook came out eventually, although, an x-rayed showed fragments of something also in his neck. He is doing well now and is able to hold his head up walk and  and take baths on his own. He is still on meds and is not totally out of the woods yet, but he's on his way to recovery.  If you would like to sponsor Milton and help with his close to $3000 vet bill, please use the link that I hope is attached or email helpourwaterfowl@gmail.com and I can send you the link along with some pictures.

http://helpourwaterfowl.org/donation.html  

Thank You for Your Support. Take Care

Karen