LAKELAND, Fla. — Tuesday marked the 40th annual swan round-up in the City of Lakeland.
Each year, the city sets out to collect dozens of its iconic swans to give them a health care check.
“We try to keep the birds from being stressed out as much as we can,” said Steve Platt, the project’s coordinator.
Platt, AKA “The Swanfather,” has been rounding up swans in the City of Lakeland for 23 years.
While it might look chaotic, he promises, “It’s a pretty simple and quick process.”
The swans clearly don’t know what’s going on is for their own good as they try desperately to escape the boats and nets chasing them around Lake Morton.
Each year, volunteers, including local veterinarians, pitch in to catch the swans and provide them with an annual physical.
The swans have all been microchipped over the years, so they all have their own medical histories.
“We check them for parasites. Any wounds we don’t know about. Any other health-related issues,” Veterinarian Dr. Price Dickson said.
Lakeland’s swans, which have become a city symbol, originally found their way here in 1957 when a pair of the birds were donated by England’s Queen Elizabeth, who owns several swans herself.
Since then, the swans have multiplied to the point where, sadly, some have been hit by cars recently; and the city, which spends about $10,000 a year feeding them, has announced plans to sell off a few dozen for $400 apiece.
“This lake has been rated to carry about 40 to 50 birds, and we have about 85 now,” said Dr. Dickson, “So, it’s a little overloaded.”
While the vetting process continues, so too does the veterinary process. It’s a commitment to keep the feathered flock fit.
“It’s really just like you and I would have a health check-up every year,” said Lakeland City Spokesman Kevin Cook. “It’s the same thing for these swans.”
“It’s really cool that our city has these wonderful birds,” said Dr. Dickson.
The swans are kept in a pen overnight to give them a chance to calm down before they get their check-ups.
Organizers say the veterinary care could also take a little bit longer this year because they have to separate out the swans that are likely to be sold.
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