| Swan falls foul of poison lake |
| By Anthony Radford
Wildlife rescuers fight for action to be taken for the sake of the birds ...
SOME of Lake Neangar’s most prized birds are falling victim to the poor condition of the Eaglehawk landmark.
Wildlife rescuers have noticed an increase in the amount of deaths put down to avian botulism in recent months, blaming them on the condition of the water and possibly the controversial island.
Last week the Bendigo Weekly reported on locals’ concerns about the stench of the island and the surrounding water.
The man-made island has become a rookery for native pest birds such as ibis and silver gulls.
The stench of their droppings is causing nearby residents to close their doors and windows, and has been blamed for health problems.
Despite this, the City of Greater Bendigo council has its hands tied with state government regulations that make it impossible to disturb the nests or the habitat of the birds.
Meanwhile, some of the lake’s avian attractions are falling victim to the situation.
Bendigo’s Wildlife Rescue Information Network recently rescued a black swan suffering from the effects of botulism.
Waterbirds that have access to stagnant ponds or other areas where decaying or rotting organic matter is found may feed on toxins produced by the fatal avian botulism toxin.
Lynne Waller, of WRIN, said she was noticing more dead birds in
recent months.
“This swan had four cygnets but when we found her, she only had one. We have no idea what happened to the other three,” she said.
“When we got to her, she was in the early stages of suffering from botulism. “When we found her she weighed only five kilograms. A healthy adult swan should weigh eight kilograms."
“We gave her antibiotics and she is almost back at the weight she should be.”
However, Mrs Waller said the swan would not be returning to Lake Neangar.
“Lake Neangar is not a healthy place for anything,” she said. “We are also having concerns about the safety of our rescuers who have to wade through the water to get the dead birds. It is a really sad setup there at the moment. It’s horrible.”
Brenda Cheers, of WRIN, said a botulism outbreak was usually caused by stagnant water with rotting matter in it or algal blooms, something that could be the result of the island’s bird infestation.
“Specifically I wouldn’t like to say yes or no to that, but it is possible,” she said.
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