First, we would NEVER recommend that Mute Swans be removed. The case of killing Mute Swans across the U.S. is one of the largest hoaxes ever perpetuated on the U.S. Taxpayer.

In 2014, the International Swan Symposium, comprised of the world’s leading swan and habitat specialists met. At this symposium, many of the misrepresentations made by U.S. and state wildlife officials were disputed.

Furthermore, these same U.S. federal and state wildlife officials had to admit the following regarding Mute Swans in the U.S.

• There has NEVER been an environmental impact assessment of Mute Swans in the U.S.

• There has NEVER been a systemic collaborate count of Mute Swans in the U.S.

• The program to kill all Mute Swans in Michigan was never based on research and was a non-sustainable program, costing millions of taxpayer monies.

Now, that these officials have admitted that all misrepresentations of the Mute Swans were non-scientific based and non-existent, here are the actual facts regarding Mute Swans presented by international swan and wetland habitat specialists:

FACTS:

• Mute Swans are NO more aggressive than any other wildlife/waterfowl protecting their habitat or family.

• Mute Swans DO NOT deplete sub-aquatic vegetation or macrophytes. In fact, they actually increase biodiversity by providing food resources for dabbling ducks and other waterfowl that cannot reach sub-aquatic vegetation food resources.

• Mute Swans DO NOT displace other waterfowl, again because of the above reason, actually attract various waterfowl species.

• Mute Swans ARE NOT detrimental to the habitat as their fecal matter does not increase nitrogen or phosphorous levels into the habitat any more than any other waterfowl/wildlife species. The major reasons for nitrogen and phosphorous level increase in wetland habitats are: leaking septic tanks, run-off from agriculture/farm/animal wastes, and other pollutants.

• Mute Swans ARE NOT an invasive species and have been shown through scientific research; they are a Sentinel/indicator species. This means, that they are an early warning system to the presence of heavy metals such as copper, lead and mercury and harmful microorganism. FACT: Had the Michigan DNR not been so adamant about killing the Mute Swans, this early warning system may have alerted scientists to problems in the Flint River and the subsequent poisonings and deaths may have been prevented.

• Mute Swans ARE NOT a non-native exotic species here only because of their introduction by humans. FACT: Mute Swan research shows that land bridge and Mute Swan ancestral fossil records indicate that Mute Swans originated in North America. Scientists are now re-investigating this ancestral linkage to North America.

*** A wonderful book to read is “Where Do Camels Come From?” by Ken Thompson. This book discusses land bridges and the fallacy of invasive species. Camels actually originated in Florida as fossil ancestral links are found in North America.

Now, the discussion must be shown as to why the Mute Swan hoax was carried out by federal and state wildlife officials.

FACT:

Misrepresentations regarding the Mute Swans were made so that U.S. taxpayers would buy into the killing program. The major reason that Mute Swans are being killed (and this was admitted by these state/federal wildlife officials at the Swan Symposium) was to introduce the larger Trumpeter Swans.

Trumpeter Swan eggs were harvested from Alaska, transported to the Milwaukee Zoo, incubated and the captive raised Trumpeter Swans were introduced throughout the U.S. In some cases, they were introduced into areas that they had never occurred and were transplanted into areas that the Mute Swans were killed.

The ulterior motive for introducing Trumpeter Swans is to bring back the numbers so that Trophy Waterfowl hunting permits can be sold. These more expensive permits will help to revive decreasing federal and state wildlife budgets. So, the wildlife officials are killing off one species in order to introduce a larger species so that they can be hunted for Trophy Waterfowl purposes.

Federal and state wildlife officials deny this, however, last year, hunting by Native Americans of Trumpeter Swans began in Minnesota and biologists are now being asked if the hunting can be opened to the general public. In other states, the hunting has already begun. Again, this is not about conservation, killing something that is actually bad, but rather a money-making scheme. All of the misrepresentations have now been admitted to by federal and state wildlife officials or through scientific research regarding the Mute Swans.

Should you kill this Sentinel species (Sweden requires biologists to respond immediately if one Mute Swan dies to find out the cause), you have killed an early warning system and prevented any type of early intervention into the problem. This is one of the utmost reasons that the Mute Swans should not be killed.

Killing of Mute Swans involves the following:

Because federal and state wildlife officials do not want the public to know about the killings, they go into wetland or nesting areas at night under the cloak of darkness. The adult swans are decapitated in front of their young and the young cygnets are stomped to death in the nest.

Should the swans not be decapitated, they are dragged behind boats and clubbed with baseball bats or oars. All to prevent the taxpayer to learn about the cruelty associated with the killing of the swans so that the habitats can be opened for the larger swans.

Additionally, federal and state wildlife officials will tell the public that the Mute Swans eat too much sub-aquatic vegetation and deplete the macrophytes. Yet, they admitted at the symposium and now in writing that Mute Swans eat approximately 8 lbs of sub-aquatic vegetation daily, yet a Trumpeter Swan cygnet alone eats twice that amount. So, you can’t have it both ways, introduce a larger bird that eats much more and use the eating too much argument against Mute Swans.

We hope that this now factual scientific research will show that Mute Swans are not an invasive detrimental species, but rather a very beneficial species that has been scapegoated for money purposes by state and federal wildlife entities.

Should your teacher question the statements made in this reply, we can certainly supply him/her with valid evidence of these comments and writings. Furthermore, it is for this information that the NY Senate and NY Assembly have passed legislation to prevent any killing of Mute Swans in NY until scientific research can be shown as to why they need to be killed.

As far as some interesting facts:

1. Mute Swan males are called Cob from the old German word “knopf” or knob on their bills

2. Mute Swan females are called Pens from the English word “pennae” or penned from the way they carry their wings back in a penned manner.

3. Swan babies are called cygnets from the Genus species Cygnus

4. Mute Swan females carry the cygnets on her back.

5. Mute Swan males actually build the nest.

6. Mute Swans are not mute as they can hear and make vocalizations. These species is just the least vocal of all swan species.

7. Mute Swans are just one swan species. There are 7 species and one sub-species of swans found throughout the world.

We hope that you now have a new and factual understanding of this beautiful species and will work to help save them. We hope that you will also help educate others about the many misrepresentations regarding the Mute Swans. The Regal Swan