Swan Rescue

I have devoted my time for years to help the swans. They are awesome. Thank you to all of you who love them too. Swan rescue is a very specialist job if you are going to do it properly. You need to know all about the swans and their partners and territories. They could have flown in from any of the other lakes. I have become increasingly concerned as to what has been going on. Let me tell you a little story which highlights that. It’s the story of Sharona. Sharona was bitten on the leg by a dog. When the lakes froze, she couldn’t cope so I took her up to the vet. I was fortunate to be able to have her partner too for other legal reasons. So I had the two together.  We tried treating Sharona but the injury to her leg was bad. The vet said it was going to take her leg months to get right. It was a question of putting her in the wild to see if she could cope. It was nesting season and I was keeping an eye on her. Bless her she managed by using her wings to help her move. Sharona started to nest. I was so pleased for her. She would get off her nest to feed while the male sat on it for her. I’d told the RSPCA I was looking after her and to talk to me if they were concerned. One day someone saw her limp and 

caught her. She was taken to a vet and put in a cage for six weeks because it was a different vet who knew nothing about her. She was split from her partner and her nest. In the meantime her partner met another female and paired with that swan. After six weeks Sharona was released. Her leg was no better than it was before. Her partner was with another swan and actually chased her off. Little Sharona sat by herself with her head hung that low it wrenched my heart. I am currently in the middle of another situation I can’t bear to watch – Hallam Fields. I have spent a lot of time this year almost daily rescues at one point looking after a beautiful family of swans and cygnets. They really are the sunshine of everyone’s life.

The escape-e
I was alerted to the fact that the female swan had been taken away. I went straight down only to see the male swan worryingly thin and looking like he wasn’t going to last much longer. I can’t comment because I never saw a vet with the female but I have spent hours trying to sort it out and get her back urgently. There is one 

thing I am very sure of based on years of expertise and study work. There is a law to adhere to, but I would never split a family of swans unless it is in extreme circumstances. That is why I work out in th

e wild with them so I can keep them together. At the time of writing this the ending is unknown. I’m praying for a miracle, I really hope it is ok but so many times it’s not. Everyday they are split, it dramatically increases the risk that either…He will reject her, She will reject him, He will die, She will die. He will fly off and find another mate never to be seen again. Hallam fields will lose it’s swans and its beautiful ray of sunshine. I’ve seen it go horribly wrong within a few minutes of splitting a pair of swans. Just pray with me that by the time you read this they are altogether again. With love from all the swans and myself.

Julie
Watermead-Swans