DWR: Dozens Of Swans Killed, Injured During Northern Utah Storm
Nov 24, 2020, 3:18 PM | Updated: 3:20 pm
BOUNTIFUL, Utah – Officials with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said they believe a storm that brought hail, high winds and lightning to Davis County earlier this month is what killed or injured dozens of swans.
DWR officials told KSL on Tuesday that it recovered a total of 41 swans after the Nov. 14 storm. In all, 34 swans died and another seven were injured.
“Due to the nature of the blunt force injuries and other indicators, it is believed that the storm forced the birds down, resulting in high-speed impacts with the ground or other stationary objects,” said Faith Heaton Jolley, public information officer for the DWR.
DWR officials said weather was the likely cause after residents across Davis County reported finding the dead and injured birds on Nov. 15.
Most of the injured swans were taken to the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah.
The dead birds were recovered and sent to a laboratory for testing to determine the cause of death. Bountiful residents reported hearing what they thought were distressed sounds coming from swans during the thunderstorm that hit the area.
