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Municipal workers in Bruges transferred the canal city swans to a protected aviary
The medieval Belgian city of Bruges has gathered dozens of swans that glide down its picturesque canals to protect them from the spread of bird flu.
France, the Netherlands and Denmark have already started slaughtering chickens after the virus cases, and Belgium has detected an outbreak among wild birds.
Protective measures have been taken in poultry farms, but the situation is more complicated in Bruges, where swans often roam freely.
“All swans have to be captured, and it is not so easy to capture them.” Mayor Dirk De fauw told AFP.
“We have to get the swans out of the open spaces of the city and keep them safe in a place where they can hide from birds that come from everywhere and from sick birds.”
The city prepared for the operation by not feeding the swans for five days.
When the grain was finally produced, municipal workers swooped in and bagged the birds to transport them to a protected reserve.
The swans belong to the city, but in normal times they are free to roam the medieval canals and charm tourists.
Bird flu fears: Dutch farms ordered to keep poultry indoors
© 2020 AFP
Citation: Bruges Protects Swans from Avian Flu Channel (November 19, 2020), accessed November 19, 2020 at https://phys.org/news/2020-11-bruges-canal-swans-bird- flu.html
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