A reader sent these photos of more and more swans dead on the east side of Portage Lake. Although the reader says there are sometimes a few of them each year, this year the die-off numbers have increased.
The reader says each morning, there are more swans, and he’s counted 16 at one time, which seem to bloat up, flop over and die.
Does anyone know what could be causing the swan deaths?
Has the DNR done an autopsy and analysis to determine if a non-swan fan is putting poison out to control the population?
Anyone known to be an advocate of decreasing the swan population on the lake?
The picture shows three undistinguishable white objects and live swans in the background. Has the picture veracity been determined?
May or may not have anything to do with this. The invasive mussels(Zebra) have purified the waters so much that sunlight is able to penetrate deeper in the lakes. This causes algae growths alot deeper and when it dies off causes botulism toxins to form in which the ducks and swans consume and die. The common loon has had a terrible die off in Lake Michigan this past fall from botulism infected fish. This is only a thought. Why would some one assume a person is responsible, when more ducks and geese die from disease each year than at the hands of humans, including hunters.