Otter attack forces a Vancouver swan exit
VANCOUVER• The last three mute swans in the city’s renowned Stanley Park have found refuge in a secret location after a fourth was killed recently by otters in Lost Lagoon.
Two of the swans have already been moved to a 10- acre private retreat in the Lower Mainland. The remaining male, Bijan, will get his own pond there as well when parks board staff are able to capture and relocate him.
Mute swans have been a fixture in Lost Lagoon since the 1950s, said biologist Mike McIntosh, who acts as a wildlife ranger for the Vancouver Parks Board. He recalls as many as 70 living there when he started with the city’s parks board in 1965.
“The general curator for the zoo and parks board came from England where it was common to have swans on gorgeous country estates.
“Mute swans are native to Europe. However, over time, Lost Lagoon became a difficult environment for them. It’s wilder and a bit less managed than it used to be so they are having more interactions with wildlife,” he said. “The birds aren’t capable of defending themselves. They are getting older and, like all of us, they deserve a happy and healthy retirement.”
He said Canada Wildlife Services is against mute swans proliferating because they are an invasive species, so the parks board in the past has clipped their wings and addled their eggs to prevent offspring.
Retreat owner Anna Dean, who asked that the exact location not be revealed, said the swan couple, Tristan and Marika, were initially stressed by the move but after a few days have settled in nicely to their new home. Marika is approximately 20 years old and the two other swans are about 12 years old. “My priority is to get them settled, happy and relaxed in a safe place,” said Dean, who has a permit with Canada Wildlife Services to own swans.
Dean, who already owns another pair of swans, said there are lots of ponds on her property so they can each have their own ponds and not have to fight over territory.
“I have seven-foot fencing ... to keep dogs and predators out so it’s a more safe environment for them. It’s also a more natural environment.”