Last week, the Wildlife Board received a report about a dead swan that had been found with extensive injuries.
Then Kai Magne Bråten, from the Wildlife Board in Sandefjord, moved out to the swan.
– It was lying on its stomach, and I didn’t see anything special then. Then I turned it around and thought, “What the hell is this?” says Bråten to TV 2.
It was Tønsberg newspaper that first mentioned the case.
NB! The case contains pictures of the swan’s injuries.
– Never seen anything like it
The swan was found in the water at Trælsodden, close to Tønsberg.
– Melder dragged it ashore. Then it had a rope around its neck which was removed.
DEATH: When the swan was found, it was dead and had a rope around its neck. Photo: Private
On the underside of the swan’s body there were extensive injuries which indicated that it had been subjected to violence and torture:
– I have never seen anything like it, says Bråten, who has worked at the Wildlife Board for over 30 years.
– There is nothing other than people who have done it. This is not from a propeller, boat engine or an innocent accident.
Bråten does not know whether the swan was alive while it was subjected to the violence:
– If this was a killing method in a context, I think it is cruel. It looks like this on the bird, he says.
Show respect
Bråten says that the swan is in a freezer at the police, who are now investigating the case. They are therefore looking for witnesses and people who have information to give in the case.
He encourages people to report things they see that are not right, and to generally respect birds and animals.
At this time of year the swans can seem a bit more aggressive as they have young they want to defend.
– Leave them alone. Don’t climb into nests, and keep a little distance, says Bråten and adds:
UNDERSIDE: This is what the swan looked like on the underside of its body when Bråten turned it around. Photo: Private
– This especially applies to dog owners who let their dogs loose. We have experienced that swans on nests have been taken by dogs in previous years.
– Large dark figures
Veterinarian and head of the organization NOAH – for animal rights, Siri Martinsen, says that they report close to 150 cases of mistreatment of animals each year.
– This often applies to people who kill or injure wild animals, says the head of NOAH to TV 2, and she adds:
– It is terrible that someone deliberately harms animals, says Martinsen.
She says that it is important to report this type of case as the risk of detection is low when people mistreat wild animals.
ATTITUDES: Siri Martinsen, veterinarian and leader of the organization NOAH – for animal rights, believes the mistreatment of animals has to do with people’s attitudes. Photo: Bente Isefjær / NOAH
– There are probably large dark figures, and not everything is easy to discover, she says.
The vet believes that mistreatment of animals is due to bad attitudes, and cites seagulls as an example:
– When the media write that seagulls are a problem, it went parallel to many cases of mistreatment of seagulls. People feel they are allowed to commit crimes because no one likes them, she says and continues:
– When the media informed that various seagull species were threatened, the mistreatment of seagulls decreased. The attitude towards animals is important in preventing crime against animals.
Martinsen also encourages people who have tips, or know something about why the swan is injured and dead, to report tips to the police.
