Volunteers Save Swan Trapped in Icy Waters Near Volgograd
The unfortunate bird cannot escape from the ice without human help.
In the village of Bereslavka in the Kalachevsky district of the Volgograd region, a swan that had separated from its flock became trapped in the ice of a frozen body of water. A few days ago, the bird was still walking on the ice, but today it no longer moves from the spot. Local residents who have been feeding the animal fear the bird will not be able to escape and will perish.
The bird is stuck somewhere in the middle of the frozen body of water.
The «Bird Island» wild animal rehabilitation center has taken on organizing a rescue operation for the unfortunate bird — staff are now recruiting volunteers for the trip.
— The Bereslavka situation has been going on for a month. We«ve had swans brought from there, we explained how to catch them properly, back when the ferry was running. In the 20s [of December], the ferry stopped, that was it; where it sailed, there was an ice hole, but now everything there is completely frozen, — says the center»s head, Alina Erina.
In the village near the shore, a family lives that is helping the swan fight for its life.
— A married couple and a man who lives nearby are breaking the ice, clearing water for it, throwing it food, literally risking their own lives. They appealed to both the Emergency Ministry and the local administration, there«s no place they haven»t written or called, they even asked the ferry for help — useless. No one can catch it, no one will give us a boat anywhere. On January 4, we will go to retrieve the swan. We are now looking for people from Volgograd to assemble a group.
The area where the swan previously swam is now frozen over, trapping it elsewhere.
According to Alina Erina, the bird may have become stuck in the ice or frozen: what happened to the swan is not yet known for certain.
— It«s unclear how it got there. Before, there were its tracks, it walked around, but now it sits in one spot and doesn»t go down into the water. Just a week ago, we had a cygnet brought from Bereslavka, we suspect it«s from the same family.
The cygnet had its feet frozen into the ice and was miraculously saved by a concerned local resident. The bird was delivered to the rehabilitation center. According to the head of «Bird Island,» the baby had severe frostbite on its feet, and after delivery to the rehab center, it did not even stand up. The baby was treated, and now, as the center«s staff assert, everything is fine, its life is not threatened by anything, and in the spring it will be released into the wild.
— The cygnet was found in reeds close to the shore, so they were able to retrieve it and bring it to us. But the adult swan is far from the shore, everything around that spot has frozen over, but in the middle, where the ferry ran, the ice is too thin, it«s dangerous for people to go there. This requires the help of rescue services, but they are not obligated to save animals. Since they cannot do it, we will go ourselves, — says Alina Erina.
Recall that earlier this swan was seen by residents in the village of Novy Rogachik, located about 20 kilometers from Volgograd, a lame swan wandered for two weeks near the crossing over the Chervlenaya River in an attempt to find food. Concerned residents asked volunteers to help save the poor bird before it perished from the cold or fell victim to starving predators.
