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For the second year running, Naturewatch Foundation funds the 'Save the Swans' Project
From November through to the end of March, the swans of Lithuania face severe difficulties and starvation due to the hydro-electric dam which prevents parts of the river waters around Kaunas from freezing over. This fools many swans into thinking they should find enough food in the river and decide to stay rather than migrating to wamer climes. However, the swans float down river where the waters can quickly turn into freezing ice, trapping swans on the river. This winter, four locations were made feeding stations and Dr Julius Morkunas, LiSPA board director, headed up teams of volunteers to monitor the sites and provide food and protection for the swans throughout the winter months.
Naturewatch Foundation funded costs of food and rescue equipment and Dr Morkunas worked with local authorities and local businesses seeking additional donations of grain and carried out publicity work to inform citizens about how they can help the swans – especially alerting LiSPA to swans that are frozen to the waters so that rescue teams can be called to attend. Here is a news video report from January 2011 on the project.
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