BOTANICAL GARDENS WHITE SWANS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 142, 12 March 1938, Page 10

BOTANICAL GARDENS WHITE SWANS

Bedraggled With Tar ONE RECOVERED, OTHER DEAD Of the two white swans belonging to the Botanical Gardens aud recently reported to have been fouled with bituminous tar, one ha's been restored to its pool, the other is dead. Two new swans also have been placed iu the pond. About three weeks ago the two swans which had for some time been resident on the ornamental pool at the gardens became badly bedraggled with tar floating on the surface of the poo. and apparently carried there by stormwater from the roads during a wet week-end. Their plumage was so heavily coated that they were in danger of becoming waterlogged and drowning. As soon as their miserable plight had been observed, protests were voiced by. interested individuals. The birds were sent up to the Newtown Zoo to be cleaned and to recover. The curator of the Zoo, Mr. J. Langridge, had them carefully sponged down to" remove as much as possible of the viscous oil. They were then placed in a separate pool, with a good deal of vegetation on (he bank, where they would be likely to rub off much of the remaining bitumen. Both appeared to be progressing well, until at the beginning of this week one had a relapse. Mr. Langridge said that on examination it was found to have injured itself, and had to be killed. The other bird, however, and the two fresh ones were placed in the pool at the Botanical Gardens on Thursday.

Shortly after their arrival on anxious inquirer rang up “The Dominion” to say that further bitumen was polluting the pool. An inspection made yesterday, however, showed that the surface was then clean, and neither of the two new birds bore ttny signs of oil on its feathers. The only foreign body in the pool was a large water-rat, which evidently shared the afnenities with the birds. No doubt the still somewhat bedraggled and discoloured plumage of the survivor of the tar episode bad misled the visitor. Interviewed, Mr. J. G. MttcKenzie. director of parks and reserves, said that he considered the’ bitumen had come down from the neighbourhood of Garden Road, where road repair operations had been carried out recently. Asked if any steps had been taken to prevent a recurrence of the incident, he replied that he understood no further bitumen would be put down iu that locality. Keen interest has been manifested by Wellington people in the welfare of the swans, both Zoo and others concerned having received numerous telephone inquiries as to their ftrte.