Swan rescued after being shot by air rifle

4:00pm Thursday 20th September 2007

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"IT'S beyond me why people do this."

"We find it really difficult to comprehend why anyone would want to do it - words fail me."

These were the words of Joe Dziurzynski, co-founder of the Yorkshire Swan Rescue Hospital, after he picked up a swan shot using an air rifle.

The bird, which was reported to the hospital just after 3pm on Tuesday, is one of more than a hundred to have been injured or killed by malicious shootings this year. It was found just upstream of Lendal Bridge, in York.

The hospital is now offering a £1,000 reward to anyone providing information leading to the conviction of the guilty party.

Mr Dziurzynski said: "The chap who owns the riverboat cruises company on the Ouse spotted it and called us.

"We scrambled down there to get it.

"It was just huddled up on the side, not looking very well and in a lot of pain.

"Our priority was to catch it as quickly as possible."

He took the animal back up to the hospital at Brandsby, for examination and treatment.

"There's quite a large wound in the back of its neck towards its head," he said.

"It looks as though the pellet is lodged in its left eye as lots of pus is leaking out.

"It's whole neck and head is covered in blood - it's pretty nasty."

He said the baby swan - known as a cygnet - was due to go under the knife last night.

"Hopefully it will pull through fine," he said.

"Swans can function with one eye - there are quite a few in the wild, but first it's got to get through all the stress and trauma of it."

Cruelty to swans is illegal and the incident was reported to the police, who are now investigating. Any witnesses should phone officers on 0845 6060247.

Mr Dziurzynski said the hospital had already treated more than 1,200 animals this year.

He said the main problem was swans getting trapped in fishing lines, but about 100 of the cases involved birds that had been shot.

"It's beyond me why people do this," he said. "Surely there are better things for people to be getting on with.

"We find it really difficult to comprehend why anyone would want to do it - words fail me."