Since Minnesota is one of the states killing Mute Swans, it is unlikely that these are wild swans. Most states have relegated the Mute Swans (orange bills) to the captive setting by pinioning (amputating a portion of the wing) so they cannot fly and will stay in one place. The states are killing Mute Swans under false pretenses to the public by misrepresenting them as invasive, non-native, and detrimental to the habitat. In fact, none of this is correct. The actual reason they are being displaced is to open their habitats so that the larger Trumpeter Swans can be introduced and used for Trophy Waterfowl hunting purposes to increase wildlife budgets, both federal and state.

Federal and state wildlife officials have been behind this plot for several years and deny that it is about the hunting. Yet, in 2014, Minnesota was the first state to allow hunting of Trumpeter Swans by native people . Immediately, following this allowance for hunting, biologists were asked if the Trumpeters are at adequate numbers to begin hunting by the general public.

So, yes, swans can be kept in captive settings and maintained by parks. However, because of this killing program, if they are wild and fly in, they will be killed and if the park is receiving any governmental grants, state or federal, they either have to kill Mute Swan cygnets to control future populations or remove the swans and replace them with Trumpeter Swans. Sad state of affairs that the taxpayer is paying. The Regal Swan