Injured swan and mate rushed to wildlife centre in Greater Napanee

On Monday afternoon, two swans were found sitting along the side of a parkway in Prince Edward County before being rushed to Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre in Greater Napanee.

The assistant director of the centre, Leah Birmingham, told Global News that the female swan may have hit a hydro wire, which she says is fairly common for swans, but it caused burn marks on the female and the male swan was just a little stunned.

According to the wildlife centre, the male swan’s shock wore off after 24 hours but the female swan’s injuries are severe.

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“The female swan fractured her femur and on the X-ray image, you can see small pieces that broke off,” said Birmingham.

One of the caretakers at the wildlife centre, Tess Miller, has worked with various water birds over the past two years, and says having the swan couple at the centre is incredibly rare.

“They like each other already and they’re much more comfortable in our care. They are more likely to eat, less stressed out, they work with us better, and work better in this environment,” said Miller.

Miller and Birmingham are paying close attention to the swans’ injuries but say birds heal faster than mammals.

The female swan’s injury usually takes about one month to heal but with the changing weather and the colder months ahead, the Wildlife Centre is preparing for the couple to stay with them until the spring.

Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre holds up to 35 swans and in early 2019, a building in the back of the centre will be transformed into an aquatic centre. The new waterbird enclosure will include indoor pools with a filtration system.