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Swansong feared for royal birds |
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Tuesday, 20 June 2006 |
Swansong feared for royal birds
LONDON (Reuters) - It's been a tough year for Her Majesty's swans
on the Thames. If dogs and foxes don't get them, then lead poisoning
and fishing tackle will.
The bearer of bad news was David Barber, the Queen's official Swan
Marker who takes to the river every year for Swan Upping, the annual
cygnet census which dates back to the 12th century.
All swans on the picturesque and meandering Thames are officially owned
by the monarch and were originally counted with a view to their ending
up on the dinner plate.
Today, they are tagged, weighed and gently put back in the river in the annual avian stocktaking.
Barber, announcing plans for next month's Swan Upping, said attacks by vandals had decreased over the past year.
But he warned that lead poisoning had increased, dog and fox attacks
were on the rise and fishing tackle injuries were still the main cause
of swan mortality. |
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