Eight baby swans were rescued using IKEA bags after being found on a road in Somerset.
Secret World, a wildlife rescue charity, were contacted by a member of the public who found the cygnets on the road.
With the help of the police, they managed to secure the birds safely in a temporary pen, but there was an immediate problem: there was no sign of the cygnets parents.
The charity does not routinely help waterbirds, but considered this an “exceptional situation” since other suitable rescues were unable to admit the group, leaving eight healthy young cygnets without somewhere appropriate to go.
The Secret World Wildlife Rescue team jumped into action to help the cygnets, which rescuers believed was once a family of 10.
Once the team arrived the cygnets were placed into swan wraps and put in IKEA bags, provided by the retailer, to safely carry them back to the animal ambulance and keep them secure during transport.
“These large, strong bags are surprisingly useful when it comes to safely transporting swans and other large waterbirds,” The Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre explained.
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Once the baby swans arrived at the centre in East Huntspill, they were released into waterfowl accommodation where they could be monitored.
Unfortunately, one of the cygnets was weaker than its siblings and its condition did not improve with intensive care. The rescue team made the decision to euthanise the bird on welfare grounds.
A post-mortem revealed an old leg fracture that had not healed correctly, which if left in the wild this bird would have gradually become weaker and passed away, the rescue team explained.
The remaining seven cygnets stayed at the rescue centre for about a week before they were returned to a lake near where they were found.
However, the Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre does not normally accept water birds because the risk of avian influenza spreading through their centre poses a significant risk to the rest of the wildlife hospital.
As the cygnets were generally healthy and the current seasonal risk of avian influenza was considered lower, the decision was made to provide them with temporary care.
Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre said: “Because of the exceptional circumstances, our team reviewed the situation carefully.
“Additional protocols and risk assessments were put in place to manage the biosecurity risks associated with admitting the birds. The cygnets were kept separate from the rest of the wildlife hospital, with measures in place to minimise any potential risk to the wider operation.”
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