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Dying swans

  • Thread starter Thread starter Avocado Sevenfold
  • Start Date Start Date
Beggars belief why anyone would want to do such a thing, we can only hope that they catch the culprits.
 
Robbity said:
It's not only swans that get mindlessly slaughtered, we used to have a whole family of green woodpeckers that regularly came to our garden. We stopped seeing them after a while, and I learned later from a keen bird watcher in the next road that they'd been all found shot dead with an air gun on the school playing fields that backed onto his garden. He was devastated and furious, and it broke my heart too.

Robbity

PS I've been chased by a large peevish swan, scary - but I'd never want to kill one.
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we have black swans in australia, but they can be just as nasty. I think they are a different type, though just as deserving.
 
That's the conundrum they look so majestic and beautiful but can be such nasty, vicious hot tempered things.
 
satindoll said:
That's the conundrum they look so majestic and beautiful but can be such nasty, vicious hot tempered things.
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As we unfortunately know, many humans fit into this category as well :(
mute1.jpg


A family of mute Swans
 
We used to have a caravan on the Isle of Sheppy when the children were small, the owner had a group of them on his lake, always threatening the children and flying off then coming back again and again, nice to look at but then with them beauty is just skin deep and no substance of generosity at all
 
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Such an evil act by some people. The swans make better, devoted parents to their little ones than some humans I know
 
Heathenlass said:
Sadly, I've had to do it quite often :( And it's always hard :(

Signy
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I would if I had to. Not pleasant, but kindest.
But only if absolutely certain it could not be saved. I mean there are rehab / rescue places that work wonders.

So sad though.
 
Pipp said:
I would if I had to. Not pleasant, but kindest.
But only if absolutely certain it could not be saved. I mean there are rehab / rescue places that work wonders.

So sad though.
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True - I've only done it when there is absolutely no chance of recovery and rehabilitation and not to do it just prolongs the agony. Not at all nice, but necessary sometimes when they are beyond all hope .

Signy
 
Just thought to clarify on my posts - I'm referring to all wildlife here, not just swans . I'm glad I've never had to put a swan out of its misery yet, but wouldn't hesitate to if it was absolutely necessary .

Signy
 
Robbity said:
It's not only swans that get mindlessly slaughtered, we used to have a whole family of green woodpeckers that regularly came to our garden. We stopped seeing them after a while, and I learned later from a keen bird watcher in the next road that they'd been all found shot dead with an air gun on the school playing fields that backed onto his garden. He was devastated and furious, and it broke my heart too.

Robbity

PS I've been chased by a large peevish swan, scary - but I'd never want to kill one.
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That is awful on many levels.
 
Avocado Sevenfold said:
Definitely not allowed to hunt them in the UK. Are you Australian? Does the Queen "own" all the black swans too or are you able to hunt them?
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with PC, they are protected now. but they use to be eaten and I'm sure there are some long necked 'geese' that still get cooked. There isn't much that hasn't been eaten in australia. We are the only country in the world that eats their code of arms, the Emu and Kangaroo
 
Heathenlass said:
True - I've only done it when there is absolutely no chance of recovery and rehabilitation and not to do it just prolongs the agony. Not at all nice, but necessary sometimes when they are beyond all hope .

Signy
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I've had the distress of having to take three of my four previous dogs to be put down when it's become obvious that this is the best and kindest option for them - but it 's still so hard and feels like murder even when you know i's the only way...

Robbity
 
Robbity said:
I've had the distress of having to take three of my four previous dogs to be put down when it's become obvious that this is the best and kindest option for them - but it 's still so hard and feels like murder even when you know i's the only way...

Robbity
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That must be unimaginably hard, when you know and love them :(
I've been fortunate that pets have died of old age peacefully, so have only had to humanely destroy ferals, which is hard, but there's no emotional connection.

Signy
 
When I was pregnant (yep very many years ago), I found a swan which was all tangled up in fishing tackle that had just been left near a local river. This wasn't even done deliberately, it was just carelessness and thoughtlessness. I think I was just as upset and distressed as the swan (must've been the hormones). I made my husband phone the RSPCA to come and help the poor thing. It was harrowing seeing it struggle to get free. It was so frightened and I couldn't get too near because it was flapping about and making things even worse. I hate seeing something suffer.

My husband wasn't too impressed with me insisting on staying near the swan till help came. :rolleyes:
 
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