Swans at a Shropshire beauty spot are being killed by kindness, countryside managers have warned.
Bird lovers who feed bread to swans on the Mere at Ellesmere are doing more harm than good according to Shropshire County Council’s countryside service, with the birds becoming malnourished, weak and ill.
The warning comes after three swans died and two had to have medical treatment for malnutrition. People are now being urged to feed the birds grain, rather than the traditional bread.
Gareth Egarr, countryside heritage sites manager, said there have been about 45 swans on the Mere this year, but there is possibly not enough natural food to support them.
In normal circumstances, some of the birds would fly to another feeding area, but the swans have stayed because they have been fed by the public.
Mr Egarr said: “They’ve been suffering from some form of malnutrition and we’ve had tests done and can’t find any form of disease, so we think they’ve been eating too much white bread.’
Grain can be bought from the Mere Visitor Centre, or from shops in Ellesmere.
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4 Comments
“so we “”think”" they’ve been eating too much white bread”
Utter rubbish! Wild birds will seek new feeding areas if available.
The problem is too many Swans and the Gareth Egarr failed to provide sufficient food for them, relying on the public to purchase grain feed, which was sadly insufficient.
How dare he blame the public for feeding white bread!!
In Hyde Park, thats all they eat although grain is provided for them to supplement their diet.
All swans belong to the Queen, so I bet he can say goodbye to an honour now!
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And just by chance Shropshire County Council sell ’suitable’ feedstuff. Phew! What a relief!
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The problem here is that people think the birds *need* to be fed by humans. Wild birds will go elsewhere if there is not enough food to support them, but if extra food is being supplied then the birds will stay.
Problem is that bread is not a suitable food for wild creatures, there are no nutrients to keep the birds healthy even though they may have full bellies every day – think of mineral deficiency etc.
Think also – humans are advised not to eat so much white bread as it is rubbish for us, recommended to go for wholegrain – it’s just the same!
So stop feeding bread (and popcorn, crisps and the rest) and let the birds forage – or feed them something that is designed for them ie duck food!
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People should carry on as the Bible tells us:
“Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” Ecclesiastes 11:1
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