The statement about Trumpeter Swans being just as charismatic as the Mute Swans is basicially speaking in circles. If a mute swan tears up vegetation, so will a Trumpeter Swan as all swan species are grazing birds and will eat aquatic vegetation. More importantly, the Trumpeter Swans are the largest swan species and regardless of being native or not, will eat twice as much as the mute swan due to their size. So, if you are culling one species to replace another, this is not necessarily a valid solution to the present issue. If a Trumpeter Swan wants to remove a Mute Swan from an area, the mute swan, being much smaller will usually be beaten and even killed by the Trumpeter Swan. Therefore, any human intervention under the guise that it is to protect the Trumpeter Swan from the smaller mute is almost ludicrous for anyone that knows anything about swans and swan behavior.

Finally, a lot of non-invasive species are now being sought out for eradication along with the invasive Boa Constrictors and other large non-native species of snakes in the Everglades. This is the way to lump all non-invasive species in one category and try to dispose of them at one time as public opinion sways toward the eradication of the large snakes. A swan is not the same as a Boa Constrictor, Anaconda or other large snake. Neither is the cormorant, cardinal and some of the other bird species that some states want to eradicate. At what cost to the taxpayer is this culling going to continue when historical reintroduction or eradication of various species has not necessarily been that successful. More importantly, what species is next for culling? From a taxpayers stance, in our opinion, money could be used in better ways to improve wetlands and other habitats to include cleaning, restoration and general conservation/preservation efforts. The Regal Swan
The Regal Swan® Foundation, Inc.

PMB 137
7862 West Irlo Bronson Highway
Kissimmee, FL 34747
(407) 931-6838
www.theregalswan.com

Committed to the humane treatment and
veterinary medical care of swans worldwide.

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