The Swan Sanctuary

02/09/2026

One of our swans, who is still recovering from botulism, was very happy to have a couple of cygnets join her this morning.

Their company really seemed to cheer her up, and they all enjoyed a lovely feed together. The cygnets were clearly pleased to be with her too, which is a lovely reminder of just how social swans are.

Sometimes, a little company can make all the difference. 🦢🩷

29/08/2026

**Found Injured Wildlife? What to Do Next**

If a wild animal is sick or injured enough to be easily caught, it often needs professional help quickly — time is of the essence.

Once safely contained:

• Keep it **secure, dark and quiet**
• Handle it as little as possible
• Don't carry it around while shopping or running errands
• Don't give food, water, milk or medication unless advised
• Contact an appropriate wildlife rescue as soon as possible

**Once you've rescued it, let it rest.**

Repeated handling, travelling around or taking photographs can cause unnecessary stress to an already compromised animal.

You don't need to diagnose or treat it — **contain it safely and get it to experienced help as soon as you can.**

Thank you to everyone who stops to help wildlife.

26/08/2026

We were called out to Silvermere Golf Club after a member of the fishing club spotted one of the cygnets with fishing tackle caught in its neck.

On our first visit, it was clear that this family was not going to be easy to help. They were extremely anxious and simply wouldn’t come close enough for us to safely rescue the cygnet. So, we started visiting pretty much every day, feeding them and gradually trying to gain their trust.

Thankfully, today was the day! Dylan and Lisa managed to safely catch the cygnet. The tackle had caused a lump around its neck, so it was decided that the cygnet should be brought back to the Swan Sanctuary, where the vet can safely remove it and make sure there are no further complications.

While they were there, Dylan and Lisa also noticed that Dad had fishing tackle caught on him too. He was safely caught, and the tackle was successfully removed.

A huge thank you to the fishing club at Silvermere for being so mindful of the wildlife they share the space with. It was a member of the club who spotted the problem and reported it to us, giving this family the chance to get the help they needed.

We completely understand that sometimes accidents happen, but this is also an important reminder to please do everything you can to clear away fishing line, hooks and other equipment when you're finished. Even a small piece of discarded tackle can be incredibly dangerous to wildlife.

We receive lots of calls from concerned fishermen and women who have spotted wildlife caught in or affected by fishing equipment, and they are always more than happy to help when they can.🦢🩷

25/08/2026

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported us by sending these lovely items from our Amazon Wishlist.

We’re still dealing with a steady stream of botulism cases coming in, alongside the abandoned and injured wildlife being rescued every single day. Your generosity makes such a huge difference and is a tremendous help to us.

Your support means more than you know and enables us to continue doing what we do.

Thank you, from all of us. ❤️🦆🦢🩷

Our Amazon wish list - https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1XWPO24HGM832...

22/08/2026

A Quick Word About Antibiotics

We occasionally hear that The Swan Sanctuary “doesn't use antibiotics.” This simply isn't true.

We use antibiotics when they are clinically appropriate and prescribed by a veterinary surgeon for that patient. What we don't do is automatically give antibiotics to every animal that comes into our care.

Everything we do is based on decades of wildlife rehabilitation experience alongside veterinary oversight.

In fact, current RCVS guidance states that vets must not prescribe antibiotics routinely or simply “just in case”. Their use needs to be clinically justified, with preventative use reserved for exceptional circumstances.

There is good reason for this. Unnecessary or inappropriate antibiotic use contributes to antimicrobial resistance, making infections increasingly difficult to treat.

Antibiotics are prescription-only veterinary medicines. They should not be given to wildlife simply because someone happens to have antibiotics available or believes an animal may benefit from them. The decision to prescribe them belongs with a veterinary surgeon.

Sometimes antibiotics are needed. Sometimes a patient needs an entirely different treatment.

Not giving an antibiotic isn't the same as not treating an animal.

It's about giving the right treatment to the right animal at the right time.

21/08/2026

Yesterday, we received a call from a concerned passer-by in Richmond about a Canada Goose struggling at the side of the bank.

Our rescuer Sarah headed over to take a look and discovered that the goose had become tangled in fishing line and was trapped against debris.

Thankfully, Sarah was able to safely free him. The fishing line was carefully removed, and he was given a thorough check-over before being released back onto the river.

It wasn’t long before he was back out on the bank, having a good preen after his ordeal.

A big thank you to the passer-by who took the time to call us and get this goose the help he needed and to Sarah for dealing with this rescue. 🩷

20/08/2026

West End Pond Update 🦆

Since the pond has dried up, several water containers have kindly been placed around the pond for the remaining wildlife. However, we are concerned that having too many containers is becoming a little messy and, unfortunately, some are becoming contaminated, which won’t help the wildlife we are trying to support.

The Swan Sanctuary originally placed the red trays, and with the help of Lee and several other local residents, these have been regularly topped up.

Today, we attended the pond and moved the larger trays and pool, as we feel the red trays should be sufficient for the wildlife. Lee very kindly took the red trays home, washed them all out and topped them up before returning the red trays to the pond.

If any other local residents would like to help by checking the water bowls and giving them a daily top-up, it would be greatly appreciated.

We would also ask everyone to please leave only small amounts of food in the bowls each day. Any food left sitting around can quickly become mouldy and make the wildlife poorly. Excess food can also attract rodents, which we obviously want to avoid.

Thank you to everyone who is helping to look after the wildlife during this difficult time. Your kindness and support really do make a difference. 🦢❤️

20/08/2026

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20/08/2026

This swan took a wrong turn this morning onto Walton Bridge.

We were soon there to help him safely back to the river.

A big thank you to the members of the public who stayed and helped keep him safe until we arrived. 🦢🩷

19/08/2026

An early call from the police brought us an unusual guest this morning! 🦅

A Sparrowhawk had been found and handed in at the station, so they contacted us to give the bird a quick check-over before it could be released.

Thankfully, the Sparrowhawk appears to be completely unharmed and in good condition. We’ll keep an eye on it for the next day or so before returning it to the area where it was found.