Kingston area couple rescues trumpeter swan that was illegally shot

Last Sunday, Rob Frenwick and his wife Lisa Brady-Frenwick were boating on Second Depot Lake near Verona when they spotted something shocking: The couple found an injured trumpeter swan. It had been shot.

“It seemed like it was bleeding underneath the right wing and the breast area,” said Rob.

“The wings were moving OK, but it obviously couldn’t fly and it was calling out a lot.”

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After consulting the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre in Napanee, the pair were able to catch up with the wounded swan and lift it into their boat. They then rushed the animal to the centre. According to the director of Sandy Pines, Sue Meech, the swan had been shot recently and staff found three pellets: two in the body and one in the wing.

“There’s a lot of swelling, a lot of bruising, a lot of trauma,” said Meech.

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“The bird was probably shot while it was in flight. So it probably hit the ground with a thump.”

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Because of the severity of the injuries, there’s a 50/50 chance the swan could be euthanized.

That status could change once staff is able to properly examine the animal. The swan is on painkillers, but it’s so stressed that it isn’t eating on its own. Once it is safe to do so, Meech and her staff will examine the animal thoroughly.

“There is a chance we might be able to anesthetize the bird and reduce that fracture, which is getting the bones in alignment, and put a cast on the bird to see if we can heal it that way,” said Meech.

Meech predicts the swan’s medical bills could be thousands of dollars.

Trumpeter swans are the largest water bird in Ontario. Known for its black bill and large black feet, the bird has been on the species at risk list for a number of years. And even though their numbers are slowly starting to rise, Meech says there’s only 900 of them in Southern Ontario.

The Frenwicks called the Ministry of Natural Resources and hope it will investigate the shooting. Rob also posted the couple’s encounter on Facebook. The post has been shared more than 200 times.

Rob, an avid hunter, wants whoever did this to be held accountable.

“This person was a killer. This is a person who likes to kill things for fun and that’s not what I associate with. They can’t even wear the term hunter in my opinion.”