The three Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) confiscated from a property in the Ruse village of Ivanovo were released today in Lake Vaya near Burgas by employees of the Green Balkans Wildlife Rescue Center.
Mute Swans are beautiful birds with snow-white plumage and a red beak, in males with a large growth. The neck of the Mute Swan is thicker than that of the other swans. A characteristic feature is that it holds it in the shape of the letter ‘S’ and often, while swimming, slightly raises its wings. The only sounds it can make are fizzling and gently hissing. Very calm and brave bird with impressive strength. It can kill a fox, a dog or break a human arm with the punch of the wings or beak.
Swans are kept in a group and this helps them to protect themselves and thus be truly wild animals. This may have saved them in growing conditions other than wild.
The birds, which are a protected species, were raised illegally on a private property in the Ruse village of Ivanovo, for which a signal was received. The swans were confiscated at the end of January this year during a joint inspection by eco-inspection experts and police officers.
The Biodiversity Act explicitly prohibits the possession, transport and offering for sale of specimens of protected animal species. The case was handed over to the Ruse District Prosecutor’s Office, which instituted pre-trial proceedings, and the birds were housed at the Green Balkans Rescue Center in the town of Stara Zagora until a decree was issued for their release into the wild.
Specialists often choose the largest lake in Bulgaria, Vaya, for adaptation of wild birds in nature, because it is protected from encroachment – in 1998 the lake was designated as a CORINE place due to its European importance for the conservation of rare and endangered bird species, 2003 was declared a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, and in 2005 the site was declared an Ornithologically Important Site by BirdLife International. The lake is home to 262 species of birds and an important intermediate point and habitat for a large number of waterfowl, birds of prey and sparrows on the migration route from Europe to Africa, Via Pontica.
“Here at the Vaya Ecopark for Biodiversity and Alternative Tourism, we have the opportunity to provide veterinary care and staff who understand that wildlife cannot be kept in captivity. It is enough for them to take care of every creature that has entered our territory with a smile. You know, in fact, once they’re released, they often come back to us, albeit for a while, as if to say thank you. And as we like to say: When nature responds to your care with a smile, then every effort is worth it “, shares Ana Yancheva, manager of the Ecopark for Biodiversity and Alternative Tourism Vaya.
“In addition, on the spot we have the opportunity to provide veterinary care and staff who understand that wild animals cannot be held captive. It is enough for them to take care of every creature that has entered our territory with a smile. You know, in fact, once they’re released, they often come back to us, albeit for a while, as if to say thank you. And as we like to say: When nature responds to your care with a smile, then every effort is worth it “, shares Ana Yancheva, manager of the Ecopark for Biodiversity and Alternative Tourism Vaya.