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Environmental
Concerns
at the Slough
Help us explain the "Spinning Swan Syndrome."
We have observed a swan that sometimes starts to spin in place. If you know anything about this strange behavior please let us know at tidetables@hotmail.com
Here are some details re the spinning swan.
UPDATE:
Unfortunately the swan in question has disappeared before we could do anything to help it. However we have talked to someone from the Wildlife Rescue Association who told us they have a goose with the same problem. It is thought to be a neurological problem which may be brought on by trauma or perhaps poisoning.
At this time of year there is a much loved flock (at least a bunch of family groups) of mute swans (non native species) that spend the high tides in Finn Slough. One swan, part of a male, female and offspring trio, is acting odd, since the beginning of November. It acts normally mostly but then extends its neck horizontally out over the water (like a long frying pan handle) and spins for a minute like a top, on an axis represented by its feet, so to speak. Weird. We have been speaking to biologists (Canadian Wildlife) and various wildlife rescue groups wondering if this is a disease symptom, poisoning symptom, genetic problem symptom. No certainty. What we need to do if and when we see this is to make a brief video of it. Please if you do send it to us. We will forward it to some of the folks we have been talking with. That will help them think more about it and think about what if anything to do about it. As long as it is coping ok, we likely shouldn’t intervene they say. If it dies suddenly, and you have a big freezer, please pop it in a big plastic bag and throw it in the freezer, then email tidetables@hotmail.com, and we will try to arrange an autopsy. This is because if it IS poisoning, it should be looked into. If it is genetic, they want to know too. If it is somehow contagious (unlikely) then it could affect the local kind of swans and we need to know that too.
(You will need some kind of Powerpoint viewer for this.)
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