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, and they are very humanised, so unfortunately, people feed them, which means they often come up to the boat,’ volunteer Rachel Olsen told The West Australian.
‘Two swans had approached the boat, and one of the blokes jumped from the boat onto the swan. 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 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.’
Not-for-profit workers said their call-outs typically related to birds accidentally caught on hooks or entangled in fishing lines.
She urged Aussies to keep their distance from the birds and refrain from feeding them.
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.
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
Animal rescue groups have strongly condemned the disturbing footage
