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Swan's Life Hangs by a Thread After Ball Bearing Attack
2 May
Summary
- A swan is in intensive care after a ball bearing was found near its jugular vein.
- Wildlife rescuers treated the injured bird after it was found in severe pain.
- Similar malicious injuries involving ball bearings are increasingly seen.
A swan is currently in intensive care following a brutal attack that left a ball bearing lodged perilously close to its jugular vein. The male bird was discovered in considerable distress and pain at Christchurch Quay, exhibiting a golf ball-sized swelling on its neck.
Wildlife rescuers from Moyles Court, near Ringwood, Hampshire, successfully transported the swan for urgent treatment. Nurse Carla England described the situation as critical, emphasizing the bird's extreme luck in surviving the complex surgery required to remove the foreign object. The charity has observed a disturbing rise in malicious injuries inflicted on swans and other wildlife, often involving ball bearings, shot, or fish hooks.
The swan is now under close observation, receiving vital fluids, antibiotics, and pain relief. It faces at least two weeks of recovery. In a related development, a council in Berkshire has approved new measures to penalize individuals carrying catapults in areas where animal harm has been reported.
