[WATCH] Gozo swans suffering due to malnutrition, public attention

Feeding time for Mute Swans

Public access to the 12 swans that were currently sheltering in Marsalforn Valley in Gozo was being restricted in a bid to protect the birds’ health, as some of them were showing increasing signs of weakness, BirdLife Malta said on Saturday.

The eNGO said that the juvenile swans were the worst affected by a lack of food, a situation probably made worse by the attention they were getting from the hundreds of people visiting the area every day.

But the swans could still be enjoyed by the public even though the area had been cordoned off and remained under police supervision to limit – as much as possible – any disturbance to the birds.

BirdLife Malta volunteers have been feeding the swans a fodder composed of legumes and cereals, as the authorities called on the public to stop feeding the birds any bread.

Although bread can seem harmless, it can prove very dangerous for the swans or cause them irreparable damage in the long run, as it would tend to become moist or wet due to the proximity to the water.

The moist bread could get stuck in the bird’s beak or block its throat, preventing the swan from feeding any further, or even – in some cases – breathing and drinking.

The Wild Birds Regulation Unit (WBRU) had asked BirdLife Malta for assistance in managing the situation together with the Veterinary Regulation Directorate and the Gozo Police.

BirdLife Malta said the birds were expected to stay in their current shelter for the coming days, especially because of the worsening weather conditions, and that not much more could be done for the swans, except to let nature take its course.