Photo by Photo Submitted
DESTINATION: FREEDOM – After recovering at the Yukon Wildlife Preserve, these two swans will be released in B.C. Photo courtesy Yukon Wildlife Preserve
Yukon Wildlife Preserve sends two rehabilitated swans south
The Yukon Wildlife Preserve gave two young swans a second chance at life last fall.
The Yukon Wildlife Preserve gave two young swans a second chance at life last fall.
The tundra swan arrived last Oct. 4, underweight and weakened by parasites.
The trumpeter swan arrived Oct. 30 with a soft tissue injury and underweight.
With treatment from preserve staff, the two swans recovered quickly, returning to normal weight. Despite the size difference, the swans happily shared an indoor space at the preserve’s Wildlife Research and Rehabilitation Centre.
The preserve is the only facility authorized to rehabilitate migratory waterfowl in the Yukon.
Despite a quick recovery, releasing the swans has not been straightforward.
The migratory birds missed their migration. Without a suitable location for them to overwinter, the best solution was to send them to southern British Columbia where there is open water and overwintering swans.
The swans were set to leave in early December, but an outbreak of avian influenza in B.C. put all import permits on hold.
Today, with avian flu contained, the swans made a late migration to Vancouver via Air North, the preserve said Tuesday.
When the swans arrive at the airport, a transport volunteer for the Wilderness Rescue Association of B.C. (WRA) will pick them up and bring them to the WRA’s Care Centre in Burnaby.
Staff will give them a full physical exam and keep the swans at least three days to monitor and assess if they’re ready for release.
Through contacts with local birders, the WRA will find a suitable area for release where a flock of swans is located.
The Yukon Wildlife Preserve Operating Society is a not-for-profit society, led by an annually elected, volunteer, board of directors.
It features 12 species of Yukon wildlife in large, natural habitats, which can be experienced by visitors through guided bus tours, walking, skiing and biking.
The Wildlife Rehabilitation and Research Centre works in partnership with Environment Yukon’s Animal Health Unit and Conservation Services to rehabilitate injured and orphaned wildlife.
The society funds its programs and services through memberships, visitor admissions, fees from commercial photographers, as well as donations, corporate partnerships, grants and a multi-year contribution agreement with Environment Yukon.
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Comments (3)
Up 10 Down 1
GaryLarsonFan on Feb 13, 2015 at 3:21 pm
Yikes - 700 thousand a year for pointing some swans in the right direction. i hope they got their macadamia nuts served in a bowl during that VIP flight down south . Reminds me of that Gary Larson Far Side cartoon with the duck casually walking into the farmer's kitchen in September as his wife says 'be firm and don't buckle, we are absolutely, positively NOT driving him south this winter'. Classic!
Up 10 Down 9
Salar on Feb 12, 2015 at 4:19 pm
They would have been tasty for some needy family....we 're getting it wrong....so wrong....flying winged animals......
Up 23 Down 9
CharlesDarwin'sBigBrother on Feb 12, 2015 at 2:27 pm
Seven hundred grand of your taxpayer-dollars a year goes to the Preserve according to the latest accounts filed. Those swans must have had first class seats on Air North! ( surely it's nature's way to strengthen the strain and to put to rest those migrants who cannot migrate in line with their natural ecology.)