Members of the public, concerned for an elderly swan unable to get past a weir to join its partner, called out rescuers from East Sussex Wildlife Rescue & Ambulance Service today.

A mature mute swan, at Shinewater Park in Eastbourne, following its partner to the main lake found himself struggling to follow his younger partner after struggling to get past a weir just off the busy A22 Golden Jubilee Way, Eastbourne.

An ambulance from East Sussex WRAS attended on site and found the distressed swan which had now been swimming backwards and forwards for over an hour from when first seen.  “It appears the younger swan was a bit more sprightly and managed to push itself up and over the weir, but this more mature and not quite so agile  swan was struggling and clearly distressed. Several times the swan tried to push through the brambles to get up the embankment but without success. If the swan had kept doing this I could see it injuring itself” said WRAS rescuer Trevor Weeks MBE.

The swan was not easy to get to, and involved battled through quite a lot of brambles to reach the swan.

“I was able to catch the swan using a swan hook. I got a rather wet foot and leg in the process, but it was all in a good cause. Getting the swan to the opposite side of the weir was not easy either, as I had to get through loads more brambles, I was then able to release the swan for it to swim off and work its way to the lake and its partner. It was really nice though, as it swam off it gave us a call and a lift of its neck as if to say thank you” said Trevor.

East Sussex WRAS is in the process of recruiting volunteers  so to find out more information check out their website www.wildlifeambulance.org where donations can also be made.

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