Shocking footage has surfaced showing a man lifting a swan from the water and raising it over his head in a disturbing Australia Day act in Western Australia.
The video, shared on social media, showed the man diving into the Mandurah Estuary from a boat, before he grabbed the black swan by the legs.
The incident has been condemned by WA Seabird Rescue, a not-for-profit rescue group.
‘Here in the Mandurah estuary, we do have a large population of black swans,’ volunteer Rachel Olsen told The West Australian.
‘They are very humanised, so unfortunately, people feed them, which means they often come up to the boat.’
She said the swan appeared distressed in the footage.
‘Two swans had approached the boat, and one of the blokes jumped from the boat onto the swan,’ she said.
‘The swan tried to get away, he picked it up by the legs and held it above his head, and all his friends cheered.’
Ms Olsen and other volunteers were dismayed by the act, considering the work they do year-round to assist the animals.
‘He let it go, thankfully, but, it’s a pretty easy way to damage a swan — there is no reason to be interfering with them like that,’ she said.
Ms Olsen said incidents involving wildlife worsen over public and school holiday periods.
She urged Aussies to keep their distance from the birds and refrain from feeding them.
Not-for-profit workers said their call-outs typically related to birds accidentally caught on hooks or entangled in fishing lines.
The RSPCA said it was looking into the allegations.
‘RSPCA WA had received a report about an alleged incident involving a swan on the Mandurah estuary and is investigating,’ a spokesperson said.
This article by Max Aldred was first published by The Daily Mail on 29 January 2025. Lead Image: Shocking footage shows a man lifting a swan from the water and raising it over his head in WA.
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