This spring’s abundance of small, fuzzy cygnets on Lake Morton has led to an overpopulation of swans in Lakeland and increasing health issues among them.
Dr. Price Dickson, an associate veterinarian of My Pet’s Animal Hospital, performed ‘beak-to-tail’ wellness examinations on the city’s 73 swans on Wednesday morning as part of the annual Swan Roundup.
“Their feet aren’t quite as good as they were last year,” Dickson said. “I think that probably has to do with there being a lot of swans on the lake. They have a tendency to wander in the roads and sidewalks more when they are overcrowded, but they are also a little bit chubbier.”
Steve Platt, a city groundskeeper dubbed ‘The Swanfather,’ said the paperwork was filed with Lakeland’s Purchasing Department to begin the process of hosting a swan sale to reduce their numbers.
“We have to do something, we’ve got too many,” he said.
Platt said a study conducted by the city several years back showed Lake Morton ideally could support 40 to 45 swans living alongside other waterfowl.
Each bird was weighed before having its eyes, ears, beak, mouth, wings, and feet checked for any sign of disease or injury. Those with potential signs of infection had blood drawn to be processed later by the animal hospital. The swans were then given an injection of ivermectin to treat potential parasites and worms.
Many of the birds showed signs of ‘bumblefoot,’ a condition where round, raised sores are found on the webbing of the swan’s feet. It is usually caused by excessive walking on hard surfaces or being overweight, according to Dickson.
As people’s routines return to normal post-COVID, Dickson said she also believes Lakelanders have resumed one of their favorite past-times: visiting and feeding the swans bread.
“No bread or other simple starches, like crackers,” she said.
Dickson said visitors looking to feed the swans can get their specially mixed feed for 25 cents from one of the city’s feeders around the perimeter of Lake Morton. Other healthy options are cracked corn, frozen peas, or chopped-up carrots.
If a sale is approved, Platt said the city will look to sell off pairs — a male and female — to interested parties. Healthy swans under two years of age were sorted into two holding pens on the south side of Lake Morton to await their fate. As the birds do not mate until around 4 or 5 years of age, Platt said there’s no guarantee they will become a mated pair.
The last swan sale in 2020 attracted more than 80 interested buyers, out of which 18 purchasers were selected via lottery.
Why aren’t they just being re-homed to other lakes in town? Lake Mirror, Lake Hunter, whatever lake that is by LVIM, … or apartment communities like Carlton Arms or 55+ communities like Highland Village.