Dead swans should be reported

[hawkeye]

Dead swans should be reported

State wildlife biologists are asking the public to be on the watch for possible cases of lead poisoning in the famous trumpeter swans that migrate through Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties this time of year.

Anyone who finds a dead swan is asked to call a special hotline run by the Department of Fish and Wildlife at 360-466-4345, ext. 266.

Lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunters in Washington state, but biologists think the majestic swans are still accidentally eating old lead pellets still out in the environment.

People who see sick or dead swans shouldn't touch or move the birds, according to the state agency. Instead, call the hotline and leave a message including your name, phone number and the swan's location and condition.

 

[HenryN]

Re: Dead swans should be reported

Dead swans should be reported

State wildlife biologists are asking the public to be on the watch for possible cases of lead poisoning in the famous trumpeter swans that migrate through Snohomish, Skagit and Whatcom counties this time of year.

Anyone who finds a dead swan is asked to call a special hotline run by the Department of Fish and Wildlife at 360-466-4345, ext. 266.

Lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunters in Washington state, but biologists think the majestic swans are still accidentally eating old lead pellets still out in the environment.

People who see sick or dead swans shouldn't touch or move the birds, according to the state agency. Instead, call the hotline and leave a message including your name, phone number and the swan's location and condition.

Yes, touching a swan who died from LEAD poisoning is a REAL concern.

 

[hawkeye]

Re: Dead swans should be reported

I wouldn't touch it, I'm sure you know how easy it is to get lead poisoning.

 

[hawkeye]

Re: Dead swans should be reported

It seems lead shot was banned 14 years ago, and to be fair:

...Swan mortality from lead poisoning is growing despite the fact
that lead shot for waterfowl hunting was banned in the United States 14 years ago... source

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Dead swans should be reported

UK fishermen should also be wary...

Cuts lead to increase in poaching

21 November 2007
The Environment Agency (EA) has admitted that cuts in government funding have led to an increase in fish poaching from public waters because of weakening law enforcement.

In the past five years there has been an alarming increase in the numbers of small fish disappearing from the Broads area, plundered from boatyard lagoons and off-river dykes where many thousands of fish congregate during the winter months.

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As if anglers do not have enough problems with fish theft and the legacy of the deadly salt water surge into the Broads, they now face another threat created by the most recent outbreak of bird flu - the deadly H5N1 strain that can affect humans.

Defra veterinary chiefs suspect this latest virus discovered in turkeys on farms near Diss has been transported into this country by migratory birds like geese, ducks and swans. Anglers are therefore being urged to keep their eyes peeled for any signs of distress or deaths among waterfowls where they fish.

At present anglers are enjoying unrestricted access to all the main broads and rivers where many of the overwintering wildfowl are established in large flocks. However, any dead or dying bird discovered should not be touched but the exact location reported on the Defra emergency line 08459 335577.

There are also fears in the maggot breeding industry that the source of animal protein consisting of dead poultry which they feed to their fly larvae may be infected by the flu virus but remain dormant in birds that have died from other disease or infirmity.

Thus anglers are advised to handle their maggots with care, keep any cuts plastered and wash hands frequently.
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[HenryN]

Re: Dead swans should be reported

It seems lead shot was banned 14 years ago, and to be fair:

...Swan mortality from lead poisoning is growing despite the fact
that lead shot for waterfowl hunting was banned in the United States 14 years ago... source

Since swans are dying in the absence of lead, the deaths may be linked to some unusual form of Alzheimer's where birds recall stories passed down through generations about the hazards of lead shot which causes anxiety and death involving loss of neurological function via psychosomatic transference.

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Dead swans should be reported

Alzheimer's is mutating?

Perhaps it takes 14 years for the lead to make it mutate & it just happens that the new symptoms are identical to.....

Must be one of those generation-skipping mutations.

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[Shannon Bennett]

Re: Dead swans should be reported

I passed a flock of swans on my way to Grandmas house for Thanksgiving. About 30 of them were swimming on a pond near Multnomah Falls, Oregon. They were beautiful and thankfully, I didn't see any sick or dead ones.