100 wild swans poisoned by 'killer duck-feeder'
THE mass killing of up to 100 wild swans was the work of a maniac who fed the birds poison-laced bread.
Up to 100 swans are believed to have been killed by lead-poisoning
An investigation into the way the beautiful water birds died gruesomely from lead poisoning is pointing the finger at a determined and cunning killer pretending to be a harmless duck-feeder.
Most of the birds rescued after being targeted along a stretch of the River Wear in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, never recovered from the high levels of lead in their bodies.
The fact that x-rays did not show any lumps of the toxic metal in the birds' digestive tract has led experts to fear that the killer had gone to extraordinary lengths to wipe out huge number of water birds.
The killer is believed to have poisoned swans using powdered lead wrapped in small balls of bread
By using powdered lead wrapped in small balls of bread, the killer was able to dupe the birds into swallowing deadly levels of lead which causes dramatic weight loss, paralysis and even blindness.
Lead is so poisonous to water birds that shooters are banned from using it in ammunition over wetlands, while large fishing weights made from lead were outlawed almost 30 years ago.
Wildlife experts, the Environment Agency, the RSPCA and police were involved in the investigation into the swan deaths earlier this year.
Lead is so poisonous to swans that shooters are banned from using it in ammunition over wetlands
The way that post mortem results showed high levels of lead in the birds' systems but no significant pollution in the River Wear has led to vet Gill Maxwell, from Cestria Veterinary Centre, suspecting it was the work of a poisoner who may now have been scared off by publicity.
She said: "We are totally convinced that this was deliberate poisoning, and had a suspect in mind, but couldn't prove it.
Lead poisoning causes dramatic weight loss, paralysis and even blindness in swans
We are totally convinced that this was deliberate poisoning, and had a suspect in mind, but couldn't prove it
"The lead levels found in the birds and the speed of onset of clinical signs were just totally wrong for an environmental contamination, and, if it had been something catastrophic, there would have been absolutely nothing left alive in the Wear.
"Unfortunately, as the levels in affected birds were so very high, most of those referred to a hospital practice for treatment did not actually recover. They seemed to improve initially, but then crashed later on. Very few recovered and were released."
She believes up to 100 swans died and this will have an impact on the local population as many of the victims were young adults who were yet to breed.