Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Wildlife rescuers called out 27 times to 'frozen swan' say it's just being sensible and conserving energy

Fears for a lone swan on an icy pond in East Sussex have led to numerous calls being made to wildlife rescuers. East Sussex Wildlife Rescue and Ambulance Service said it had been called to Pells Pond, in Lewes, more than 27 times in the past week.

Trevor Weeks said callers had said the swan was stuck in the ice and had been sitting in the same position for hours. "Every time we have attended the swan has not been stuck ... swans do not move around the ice if they don't have to."


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He said most calls had reported the swan as having a leg stuck in the ice when it was actually tucked up under its feathers to keep warm. Mr Weeks added that standing on ice and moving around was energetic and swans "try to be sensible and conserve energy in this cold weather".

"In over 25 years of undertaking wildlife rescue work, I have never come across a swan properly stuck in ice, it very rarely happens, people misunderstand what is happening and why the swans are not moving."

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