First, are you sure that his death was due to a person? Was there any physical evidence, i.e., gunshot, arrow, poisoning, etc.? Did anyone witness the attack?

Secondly, was the mute swan wild or captive?

These questions must be answered to ascertain if anything can be done if in fact his death was maliciously caused.

In many states, wild mute swan populations are not protected because they are deemed feral populations (non-native). These same states encourage the killing of adults and cygnets to control their population. Even if a swan is killed because it is overly aggressive/territorial, many state wildlife officials do nothing.

However, if the death was cruel, then an animal cruelty case might be made.

The best scenario would be that the swans are captive,i.e., belong to someone and hopefully, are banded or micro-chipped. Micro-chips are much better than banding to prove ownership because they can't be removed or accidently removed.

In the state of Florida, if you are caught harming, stealing or killing a captive micro-chipped swan, it is a felony punishable by up to a $5,000 fine and/or jail term.

Unfortunately, many states do not have this same law so animal cruelty cases will be difficult. The best advice would be to offer an award for information leading to the person responsible for killing the swan or go to the media. Many people will feel an outrage for any type of cruelty and will want the perpetrator captured. If the local or state officials refuse to do anything, media pressure with community support will usually cause some sort of action and this local grass root effort may get new legislation for harming swans enacted. Good luck. The Regal Swan
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