Published: December 26, 2010
Burnham-On-Sea rescue teams retrieve 20 starving swans

Wildlife carers and a rescue boat crew from Burnham-On-Sea rescued more than 20 swans from a frozen waterway on the Somerset Levels on Boxing Day.

Volunteers from Secret World Wildlife Rescue captured 21 birds with the help of Burnham-based rescue charity BARB.

The birds were found to be starving or stuck in the ice near Burtle in the South Drain. Sadly, a further ten birds were found to have died.

Sara Cowan, Animal Care Manager at Secret World, said the swans had been unable to find food because the ground and the water were frozen.

"With the big freeze nothing has thawed and everything is really struggling now," she said.

"The swans are having terrible problems. They're flying around trying to find their waterways, but everything's just white and they're coming down on anything. Once it's all defrosted they can come back down, but for now we will look after them."

The rescued swans have been put in a pen and will be fed in the warmth of Secret World's HQ in East Huntspill until the weather becomes milder.