Black swans at risk

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I read an interesting story on my newsfeed this morning about Western Australia’s bird emblem, the black swan. These are grass-eaters and nest around lakes, rivers and billabongs. However, when food is scarce, adult birds abandon their young (cygnets) in search of better food sources. The cygnets are left to fend for themselves and often migrate from the wetlands in search of water. Some get to the ocean before they are fully fledged and find themselves battling currents and strong winds. Volunteers have been rescuing these young cygnets, keeping them safe until they are fully fledged and able to look after themselves. Last year, 400 cygnets were rescued and 200 have been taken into so far this season. The black swan population is not yet at risk but numbers are falling. I would love to be involved with something like this but we’re an hour or two away from the action so I can’t really help. The photo is mine.