Caring for Our Swans

We must remember that swans are wild animals and it is really best if we leave them to be so. We do live incredibly close to them and they can seem quite tame at times. You might almost feel tempted to stretch out our hand and touch that downy neck that almost looks like fur. We shouldn’t do this for two reasons:

• The animal may come to trust a human that should not be trusted.
•  There may yet be some aggression left in the animal, especially if they become frightened or they are looking after young. 

 We’re tempted to feed them. This can make them come out of the water and then they are vulnerable to less trustworthy humans and sometimes might be chased by dogs. Yet sometimes we are right to feed them because we may have caused their other food to disappear. White bread is fine, though wheat, greenery, lettuce and spinach would be even better. And certainly we should never feed them mouldy bread as it can be poisonous to them.

If we see a swan in trouble it’s best to seek expert advice – for instance the RSPB or the RSPCA may be called.
We can take care to leave our waterways clear for them:

•  Keep them free of chemical waste and other rubbish
•  Remove old fish hooks and fishing line.
•  Allow a good habitat to grow for them.

We must also educate our own young to respect animals and allow them space, and then keep watch to make sure that that happens.
We must make sure electricity cables are clear to them, especially those near water. This would also benefit other birds.
There is no immediate threat to the British mute swan. Yet it does suffer some harm and inconvenience at times and what is only a mild threat one day may change into something darker and of greater consequence very quickly. With a little extra care we may enable this gorgeous animal to live at our side for many years to come.