Irena, Lidia, and Andrei meet the Bez Tabu (TV3) film crew at a small pond in Sarkandaugava. As they approach the shore, several birds immediately head towards them.
In the water, more than ten ducks can be seen, as well as five cygnets. The birds are not shy about coming ashore and happily enjoy the flakes brought by visitors.
Friends of the waterfowl contacted Bez Tabu, as they are concerned about the fate of the chicks. The swan pair had seven young, of which five have survived until today. Their mother suddenly disappeared, and one day their father also went missing.
"He was left here alone; someone shot him in the wing. I lifted the wing — I saw a hole. He crawled on his belly to the water, then he didn’t come out of it anymore. Three to four days passed — and he flew away. The mother disappeared even before him. The chicks are left completely alone; we are calling various institutions, but no one is helping," said Irena.
They called both the Riga City Council and other bird protection organizations, but according to the residents, no one took action to help the orphaned chicks.
An ornithologist from the National Museum of Nature notes that it is typical for swans to spend their first winter with their chicks, but even if the parents have left them, there is no cause for concern.
"In the photo, you can see that these chicks do not yet have wings; they need about another month to grow. Right now they are safe; people are feeding them, and they are also eating aquatic vegetation. Stray dogs or, for example, a fox could pose a danger. As long as winter hasn’t arrived — everything is fine. When the ice appears, then we need to observe what happens. You can also call the local municipality," said ornithologist Dmitry Boyko from the National Museum of Nature.
The ornithologist does not recommend taking the swans to animal shelters, but if possible, relocating them to other swans.
If the birds decide to head south, it is quite likely that they will not fly further than Germany.
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