Apr 22, 2026
YOU Can Help A Poisoned Swan Heal
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On March 22nd, local rehabilitator Patrick Comfert, a founder of DCHS’s Wildlife Center program,
noticed an adult Tundra Swan alone in a farm field near Stoughton. The swan was lethargic and did not attempt to fly away, clear signs that something was wrong. Patrick contacted the Wildlife Center for help, and volunteer Dylan Hughes jumped into action. While going out to rescue animals is not always possible, this time the resources and timing were right.
When he arrived, Dylan confirmed Patrick’s observations. The swan wasn’t able to evade and fly away, but they were still strong enough to try and outrun the predator trying to rescue them! A quick dash across the field and excellently timed netting, made this rescue a success – the swan was captured!
On arrival at the Wildlife Center, the swan was immediately quarantined to keep staff and all the other patients safe at DCHS.
Wildlife Program Manager and licensed rehabilitator Jackie Edmunds completed a physical exam and diagnostics to check for lead toxicity and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, common ailments for this species. But the swan’s high-pitched vocalizations were a giveaway to what was wrong: it’s a symptom of lead toxicity.
The swan’s results came back within minutes on the in-house blood lead level analyzer – it was HIGH, so high that the machine could not give an accurate result. Lead toxicity can cause severe symptoms at very low levels, and the Wildlife Center will treat any patient with lead levels over 10 ug/dl. Treatment to remove these dangerously high lead levels began immediately for the swan, while a blood sample was also sent to the Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene for an accurate level of toxicity. The result was shocking: a blood lead level greater than 200 ug/dl! This poor swan was in desperate need of rehabilitation and medical treatment to save their life.
Not only was this swan dealing with high lead toxicity, but they were also emaciated, suggesting that the toxicity had become a chronic problem leading to significant weight loss.
To add to their list of problems, the swan was positive for a mild variant of avian influenza, too. While treatable with supportive care, it meant strict quarantine for two weeks, making cleaning, feeding, and providing medications a careful process that required a lot of personal protective gear for our team. Licensed rehabilitators, certified veterinary technicians, and UW Wildlife Medicine veterinarians jumped in together to support this swan.
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https://www.giveshelter.org/news/swan
