NY Senator Tony Avella Tries to Put Mute Swan Slaughter On Hold
Senator Tony Avella introduced a bill last week that would put a plan to slaughter 2,200 wild mute swans by 2025 on hold for two years.
The beautiful birds have become “pests”, according to a Department of Environmental Conservation biologist, in Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley due to the fact that they are rising numbers, polluting water, displacing birds native in the area, showing aggression toward people and becoming hazardous to local aviation. The environmental agency is looking to have the swans declared a “prohibited invasive species”.
Avella, a longtime supporter of animal issues, said about his desire to stop the cull, ”I was horrified to learn that our state wildlife agency would make such an extreme, unfounded proposal, and do not believe that the DEC has provided evidence to justify the elimination of these beautiful swans.”
The elegant birds were imported from Europe in the late 1800s to “decorate” private estates, but now they are no long needed and appear to be considered disposable. It’s time we stop using animals for our own needs so that we can avoid unfortunate situations like this in the future.
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
