Lithuania

 Swan repair

Repairing injured wildlife is a task that has endless variety and many different outcomes.

This swan was found one night last year, wandering about in a fenced residential apartment community. It had a serious skin injury around its neck exposing the muscles, trachea and oesophagus: how this happened is unknown but it may have flown into electric cables.

After being anaesthetised, the LiSPA vet staff sutured the wound with a material that is naturally absorbed in about three weeks (upper picture). After a few days - after it was clear that it was healing - the wound was coated with antibiotics and vaseline (for waterproofing) and the swan was released (lower picture).

About a month later ornithologists reported seeing the bird and that the wound has healed, and feathers were growing over the wound. LiSPA workers also saw the bird later, having settled into a flock (different to the one it was released into). Maybe it had re-discovered its original flock?