Yorkshire Swan Rescue Hospital treats almost 2,000 birds (From York Press)

Yorkshire Swan Rescue Hospital treats almost 2,000 birds

9:29am Thursday 6th August 2009 in Search By Jennifer Bell, jennifer.bell@thepress.co.uk

A WILDLIFE rehabilitation charity has helped nurse nearly 2,000 injured swans back to health so far this year.

Round-the-clock volunteers and veterinary surgeons at the Yorkshire Swan Rescue Hospital, based at Brandsby, near York, have treated the injured birds after finding many of the casualties with life-threatening injuries, often sustained by discarded fishing tackles, overhead electricity cables and pylons, fuel pollution and landing on roads and railway lines.

Dan Sidley, co-founder of the Yorkshire Swan Rescue Hospital, said the last three months had been the most hectic – with up to 60 swans being treated per week and 1,902 birds in total rescued this year.

“It is always busy this time of year,” he said. “It is good people are still calling us – but the large number of swans requiring our help is alarming.”

Almost 70 per cent of the hospital’s work stems from careless fishing – which Mr Sidley puts a huge strain upon the charity’s services.

“A lot of our volunteers are maxed out rescuing and treating injured swans when it could be avoidable,” he said.

Recurring problems have been found at Norton, on the River Ouse in York and on the Selby Canal.

Mr Sidley said a rising problem was swans suffering from lead poisoning, with the majority of cases reported in the Scarborough area.

He said volunteers still saw far too many cases where swans had been maliciously injured. “One of the worst cases we saw was in March when a swan was shot twice in the head and face by an air rifle,” he said.

“He was found flapping frantically in the River Ouse, at Cawood.

“It was in a very, very bad way but luckily we managed to save him and he was released back into the wild. It is just a wonder the swan survived with its injuries.”

He said: “Another case was a pair of signets completely covered in oil.

“This time of year we also have a lot of cases of baby swans who are lost, abandoned or injured. We are currently caring for about 100.”

The charity, which is operational 24-hours-a-day, is the largest and busiest treatment centre for injured swans in northern England, and relies completely on donations from the public.

The swan rescue hospital’s volunteers are on call 24 hours a day, and can be phoned on 07763424892.