Concerns over welfare of two young mute swans in Mayo river

Concerns have been raised over the welfare of two seven-month-old mute swans in the Town River in Castlebar.

One of the swans has been suffering with an injured wing for a number of weeks, sustained after fishing line because tangled around it last November, while it is feared the second was hurt by direct exposure to last night's strong winds.

The swans are currently staying put at a spot along the riverside walk, off Lannagh Road, where a number of people, including Patricia Conway and Maisie Loftus, have been keeping a close eye on their welfare.

Now Ms. Conway, the conservation officer with Castlebar Tidy Towns, has been contact with Inland Fisheries with a view to having the swans rescued from the river and transferred to a swan sanctuary in Galway.

She told The Connaught Telegraph: "One of the swans had fishing reel and netting wrapped around its wing last November.

"I made contact with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and a ranger called on a number of occasions in the hope that we would be able to remove the cygnet and take it to the swan sanctuary in Galway.

"However, the situation resolved itself after the ranger somehow managed to pull off the line from the swan's wing.

"But the worrying factor remaining was that the wing was still damaged and the swan may be unable to fly again.

"The young swan appeared to be managing okay until it was time for it to become independent, as is normal for swans after approximately seven months of their lives.

"It became obvious the little swan was starting to struggle and frequently got caught up in the river.

"This happened on numerous occasions. Once we had to bring it to safety when it drifted down to the bridge adjacent to Linenhall Street - an area where swans become totally disorientated due to the steep, seven foot high walls on either side.

"The NPWS was contacted but there are restrictions on the handling of wild fowl at the moment.

"Knowing that the current situation in which the two swans found themselves had become impossible for them and help was required, I immediately contacted Inland Fisheries, based in Ballina, yesterday.

"We can only hope now that a proper plan will be put in place to take these two beautiful young swans out of a lonely and desolate place.

"Normally cygnets leave the parents (Cob and Pen) and find a mate.

"This process could take place up to three years but they stay in groups until then and can fly freely from one lake or canal to another.

"Most definitely, in this situation, a happy future was not in store for the two Castlebar swans.

"For example, the pair would have been battered against the river walls during last night's gales.

"We owe it to the swans to look after them in their present plight.

"It is a time when we are all looking for solace from nature but there is a constant threat to our eco systems and it is up to each and every individual to protect them."

She is hopeful of progress being made on the matter in the coming days.

Lough Lannagh is a long-established habitat for swans and their cygnets, much to the delight of local people who regularly walk at the location.