Swans dying from bird flu are put down on Norfolk Broads as 'worrying' outbreak spreads

Swans dying from bird flu are being put down by wildlife experts patrolling the "eye of the storm" of the UK's worst ever outbreak.

Teams from the Marine and Wildlife Rescue (MWR) and the RSPCA are patrolling the rivers and lakes of the Norfolk Broads to find and euthanise swans dying from avian bird flu.

The MWR said it has been "inundated" with calls reporting dead swans in the last two weeks.

Some 35 bird carcasses were found on a single five-mile stretch of river between Horning and Wroxham, thought to be an entire family.

Dan Goldsmith, chairman of trustees at MWR, said it was the worst outbreak he had seen.

"It is quite distressing on the Broads," Mr Goldsmith told ITV News Anglia.

"We had a family of swans that were slowly affected by it and, one by one, we found their carcasses."

The government has declared East Anglia to be the epicentre of the UK's worst-ever avian flu outbreak and imposed strict biosecurity measures.

It means birds must be kept indoors across Norfolk and Suffolk, which includes the Broads National Park, and parts of Essex.

Mr Goldmsith, who was worked for MWR for eight years, described the region as the "eye of the storm".

He said: "It’s been on and off over the course of the year, we’ve had the odd case, but it wasn’t until probably two weeks ago that it suddenly spiked and we were getting dozens of calls a day about swans that were behaving peculiarly.

"I suppose because of their size and the way that they are generally quite friendly birds, people were seeing them as opposed to other birds that might just die out of the way."

Mr Goldsmith said many of the affected swans were showing signs of no coordination, "almost like drunken behaviour".

"It varies a bit between the individual birds, but we were seeing some birds have no coordination, their necks tended to have a kink in them, and a lot shake their neck and head around."

Over-preening also appears to be a symptom of avian bird flu.

• Christine Middlemiss spoke to ITV News Anglia presenter David Whiteley about the outbreak of avian bird flu.

Mr Goldsmith said many of the affected swans "want to preen continuously, almost like they've forgotten it’s not a constant act".

Swans will preen anything foreign from their feathers, which keep a watertight oil layer that make the water ball up and roll off their feathers or body.

"It’s a very strange thing to see, but it makes it all the more easier to pick out the ones that are not right," he added.

Mr Goldsmith echoed concerns raised by Paul Rice, chairman of the Broads Society, that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) should be doing more to respond to the outbreak.

"I’m very much aligned with the other criticisms that have been levied that perhaps someone needs to make a coordinated effort to round up the carcasses just to prevent onward spread," he said.

"What we have seen is some of the sickliest swans are being attacked and also pecked at, and we think this can’t be good for onward transmission.

"There’s so many dead swans about we aren’t going to be able to have any real potential to slow it down or have a greater degree of control on it.

"It worries us about where it’ll end and what else it will impact."

The RSPCA said Norfolk has been "particularly hard hit" by the avian flu outbreak, which has been "devastating" for the charity and wildlife lovers.

They said: "High numbers of sick and dying seabirds and waterfowl are being reported across the UK due to the ongoing and severe UK-wide avian flu outbreak, which is continuing to spread through bird populations.

"Norfolk is one of the areas that has been particularly hard hit, and it's been devastating for the RSPCA - and wildlife lovers across the country - to see birds suffer and perish from this awful untreatable disease. We would like to thank the public for their support and understanding during this terrible time.

"Avian flu can be carried by all bird species, but seabirds, waterfowl and birds of prey are the most common species reported. This is a highly contagious disease within birds and it’s important to take all precautions to stop its spread."

The charity is urging people not to bring seabirds or waterfowl into RSPCA centres due to the risk they could pose to animals already in their care.

Defra advice to the general public is to leave corpses alone and report findings, but that landowners should dispose of birds themselves.

Mr Goldmsith said the MWR could be called to assist with any swans that are sickly in appearance. They can be contacted on 01692 650338.

The UK Health Security Agency advises that the risk to public health from bird flu is very low.

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