After being hit by a car back in March, a trumpeter swan named Ava was recently rehabilitated and released by Centre Wildlife Care.
Ava came to Centre Wildlife after a resident found her on the side of the road in Milesburg.
“She was pretty bloody because she had injured her foot and broken her toe,” Centre Wildlife Care founder Robyn Graboski said. “We got that foot bandaged, did some blood work and we discovered right away that she had lead poisoning.”
Lead poisoning isn’t uncommon in swans and other waterfowl because of their mainly fish diet, which can contain large amounts of the toxic metal. The swan also came down with pneumonia from the cold weather, Graboski said.
“[Lead] makes them not quite right and makes them more susceptible to getting hit by cars or getting injured because it makes them a little bit sick,” Graboski said.
Therapy and medication for the lead poisoning lasted six weeks and the injured leg required surgery.
“When we got all of the results back we weren’t sure if she would survive,” Graboski said. “The Veterinarians who did surgery on her foot didn’t what to do surgery right away because of her high lead levels and pneumonia.”
Surgery was a success and Ava rehabilitated in the Centre’s garage. Graboski said they were doing an extra three to four loads of laundry for the swan.
“Because of her feet we put astroturf down, palettes matts on top of it, a tarp on tarp of that to keep it water proof, and then blankets to keep it warm,” Graboski said. “We would change the blankets two or three times a day.”
Ava originally hatched, tagged and released in Ontario as part of a re-introduction project, so Graboski said she was used to being around people.
On July 14, Centre Wildlife along with members of the Pennsylvania Game Commission released the trumpeter swan — which are the largest native birds in North America — in the Raystown Lake area.
The two organizations wanted to release the swan in a large open body of water away from boats and people. However, Ava had other ideas. She ran right into the woods behind the release point.
“She opened her wings and ran right through the people. Everyone got out of the way because she’s so big,” Graboski said.
The Game Commission found and re-released her, and a few days later she was seen on the lake foraging for food.
