FERNDALE, Wash. – A wounded trumpeter swan was returned to the wild Thursday for the first time since being shot last year.
As handlers pulled it from the back of a car, the first thing that jumped out at us was the size of swan. It was huge and its long, slender neck can gave its head and beak a striking distance that one might easily underestimate.
The second thing that got our attention was the swan's power as it was released on a small lake. It first ran atop the water while flapping its huge, rehabilitated wings, then it gracefully lifted off and glided slowly upwards.
The swan was brought down late last year by a man and a shotgun. It spent weeks being rehabilitated at Sarvey Wildlife Center in Arlington. It was one of four trumpeter swans recently shot.
The man who shot this one was arrested and charged under the Federal Migratory Bird Act. The other three swans died.
By the looks of the one released Thursday, biologists were confident the swan has a good chance to make it.
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