Trumpeter swan shot by arrow rescued on Tern Lake
Scientists and kayakers net bird and remove arrow in the field
TERN LAKE - A trumpeter swan that had been shot with an arrow is back on Tern Lake, about 50 miles south of Anchorage within the Chugach National Forest.
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Scientists and kayakers directed by the Alaska Sealife Center netted the bird Monday and removed the arrow.
X-rays showed the arrow missed bones and critical organs, according to The Anchorage Daily News.
The 23-pound bird was released Tuesday back on the lake, where its mate was waiting.
The Alaska Wildlife Alliance has offered a $1,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of whoever shot the bird. Harming trumpeter swans is a violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
"That was a very lucky bird," said Tasha DiMarzio, senior aviculturist at the Sealife Center. "But the bird was very healthy. It was feeding itself, and its weight felt really good. It may be stiff for a few days but should be OK."
The capture operation lasted about an hour.
Four volunteers in single kayaks from Seward's Kayak Adventures Worldwide approached the pair of birds from the north side of the marshy and island-dotted lake, trying to herd them through different channels toward a corralling net that spanned a narrow finger of water.
"It's a little different than dealing with clients," said Wendy Doughty, co-owner of the company, who watched from shore.
The healthy swan flew off, honked vigorously and landed nearby. The injured bird couldn't fly.
"But the swan picked right up on the net," said freelance photographer George Rauscher, who documented the proceedings. "They can move real quick. He got between the kayakers and took off."
So the kayakers tried again, and this time they cornered the swan in a narrow slough.
The swan tried to escape at the last moment but DiMarzio jumped into the water and grabbed it.
"When she got her arm around it, a lot of the fight was out of it. It was like it said, 'I've done all I can do. I gave it my best shot.' It got very docile," Rauscher said.
That's common among waterfowl, said DiMarzio, who's worked at the Sealife Center more than seven years. "They have a strong fight-or-flight instinct," she said, but once captured they often cease resisting.
Eight minutes later, the arrow was removed on the back of a pickup truck.
"It was a target arrow - blunt-tipped, not barbed," said Tim Lebling, stranding coordinator at the Sealife Center. "So we pulled it out in the field."