Successful
campaign discouraged the tradition as being unhealthy to swans
Queen's
Swan Marker, David Barker, says 'there is no good reason' for the notion
Swan
numbers are plummeting and they are malnourished as a result
Mr Barker
says swans are even straying into busy roads in search of fodder
PUBLISHED: 17:53,
14 November 2018 | UPDATED: 18:24, 14 November
Thousands
of majestic swans are going hungry this year after a viral campaign urged
people to stop feeding them bread - despite it being perfectly healthy for
them.
The
Queen's personal swan guard has slammed the campaigners for 'starving' the
swans - because people have stopped feeding them bread.
'Ban the
Bread' was a highly successful campaign, officially launched by rescue charity
Swan Lifeline and backed by the RSPB's advice, which claimed the centuries-old
pastime is harming birds.
But the
Queen's Swan Marker David Barker, Member of the Royal Victorian Order, said
there is 'no good reason' not to feed the swans bread and that many are
underweight as a result of the ban.
The Queen
is accompanied by the Royal Swan Marker, David Barker, as they watch the Swan Upping
on the River Thames near Windsor, July 2009
The
charity Swan Lifeline ran an extremely successful 'Ban the Bread' campaign
which discouraged members of the public from feeding the birds bread
Mr
Barker, the country's leading ceremonial swan expert, added that they are put
at further risk by wandering onto roads in search of food, because they are not
getting fed.
The
campaign also falsely claims bread causes the syndrome 'angel wing' - which is
a birth defect and cannot be caused in later life.
Mr Barker
said the coverage of the campaign has been inaccurate and 'confusing' for the
public.
He added:
'Supporters of the campaign claim that bread should not be fed to swans on the
grounds that it is bad for them. This is not correct.
'Swans
have been fed bread for many hundreds of years without causing any ill effects.
'While
bread may not be the best dietary option for swans compared to their natural
food such as river weed, it has become a very important source of energy for
them, supplementing their natural diet and helping them to survive the cold
winter months when vegetation is very scarce.
'There is
no good reason not to feed bread to swans, provided it is not mouldy.
'Most
households have surplus bread and children have always enjoyed feeding swans with
their parents.'
The
concept that bread could be bad for aquatic life gained traction this year but
the effects of it can already be seen.
No comments:
Post a Comment