(Photo provided by Humane Indiana Wildlife)
(Photo provided by Humane Indiana Wildlife)
In Lake County, a family of swans found on Interstate 80/94 near Grant Street earlier this year were released to their wetlands habitat after receiving months of care at Humane Indiana Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center. In June, Humane Indiana says Indiana State Police (ISP) and INDOT contacted the Wildlife Center regarding a family of Trumpeter Swans seen walking down the eight-lane interstate among heavy traffic and construction. The ISP slowed the traffic and helped the swans to the side of the road and Humane Wildlife staff rushed to rescue the family of six three-week-old cygnets. Humane Indiana says the group is believed to be the largest Trumpeter Swan clutch to hatch in Indiana since modern birdwatching records began. Trumpeter Swans are an endangered species in Indiana.
After a quick exam in the field to determine there were no injuries, the staff returned to the Wildlife Center. Despite two weeks of the staff working with volunteers from the Indiana Audubon and the Dunes-Calumet Audubon Society to find the parents, the adult swans who flew during the rescue could not be located. The staff then decided to raise the cygnets at the Wildlife Center until they were adult-sized, between 120 and 150 days. Those who assisted the Humane Indiana Wildlife (HIW) team in the recent release back to their natural habitat included members of NIPSCO, Audubon Great Lakes, Little Calumet River Basin, The Wetlands Initiative, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
“Audubon Great Lakes is working across the Calumet region to bring back wetlands for birds that rely on them, like the Virginia Rail and Trumpeter Swan,” said Stephanie Beilke, Senior Manager of Conservation Science for Audubon Great Lakes. “Thank you to Humane Indiana for caring for these birds. We are thrilled that Trumpeter Swans are breeding in the region and that our restored wetlands will provide them with quality habitat to thrive!”
This specific herd of swans is believed to be the largest Trumpeter Swan clutch to hatch in Indiana since modern birdwatching records began. In 2017, a pair of endangered trumpeter swans successfully hatched a single offspring in Indiana for the first time in current records. This rescue and subsequent rearing of the cygnets marks the success of even more ‘Indiana-born’ Trumpeter Swans entering the population to stabilize the species in the state.
“Had HIW not been able to rescue the swans from the highway and rear them at our facility, they would not have survived,” said Humane Indiana Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center director Nicole Harmon. “When every individual swan hatch is a success, it is vastly important that HIW returns them to the wild to have a second chance at contributing to their species’ success.”
The Humane Indiana Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center admits nearly 3,000 birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians yearly. To contribute to the cost and care of wildlife species like the endangered Trumpeter Swans, visit HumaneIndiana.org/wildlife-donate .
