Seriously the most idiotic thing I've seen

[Bike Writer]

a person do. The Huron River winds throughout many of the places I ride and it varies from a stream to wide backwaters around dams. On Saturday my niece and I took a ride from the north part of Ann Arbor to Gallup park and did a loop around the park that hops over several small islands that are connected with little wooden bridges. Just before you get to the island hopping there is a play and picnic area and this section is often congested with people and I've seen some pretty dumb things going on there but this one takes the cake.

There was a family of about 10 persons gathered around the shoreline and there were 4 large trumpeter swans. This group had men, women and kids in it and the father was in the lead closest to the water and he was holding what looked like a 2-3 month old infant and swinging him forward at one swan in particular. This swan was mighty angry and being very protective, it had it's neck low, arched and extended and was hissing. The people were laughing. I was shocked beyond belief, that guy was swinging the kid to within a few inches of the swan. I'm not sure what made me more incredilous, that fact that the guy was doing it and no one thought it bad or that the swan had not grabbed the kid from him by the time I got there.

As I approached I exclaimed "your kids going to get bit, that's a mean and wild animal." I have no idea what transpired later as we continued riding and I did not look back. I was afraid to. I wonder if I should have called authorities about the incident?

Of course it's not right to threaten animals and wildlife but in this case the more serious neglect was with the infant who could have been seriously hurt. Swans are beautiful but they can be mean too and very territorial. A few years ago I was launching my boat and had one chase me. This swan was about a quarter mile across the bay from the launch but I had kept my eye on it because there had been incidents with jet skis and swans on the lake and someone had a broken arm from a run in with one and one swan head butted a jet skier and left a big lump on his head. I had backed my boat in and unloaded it from the trailer and tied it up to the dock. I went to park the car and trailer, came back and stowed away my gear. I just untied and got ready to shove off when that swan came swooping across the bay. I jumped out of the boat and ran for the parking lot. It was amazing how much ground/air that bird could cover so quickly. Others saw what was transpiring and opened their car door and I hopped in, relieved that I didn't have to run all the way back to my car because I was not sure I'd be able to out run the swan.

Eventually the swan flew away and very cautiously I swam out to my boat, got in and took off. Thereafter I carried the driver from my old set of golf clubs with me in the boat for several seasons.

[Koronin]

UGH! Some people should not be allowed to breed. I have only ever seen swans a couple of times in person and they are beautiful birds. Never been very close to one. Now geese I know can be mean and the ones that live around the zoo seem to like to hiss at people.

[smilingcat]

I thought swans were protected. And such you are not allowed to disturb them.

I sort of recall one of my co-workers many years ago of telling me a story where a hunter shot at a flock of geese in flight. The poor hunter's dumb luck brought down a swan instead. And add more insult, there happened to be a game warden who witnessed the whole thing. Hunter had his shotgun confiscated, and fined something like $8,000 for killing a swan. My co-worker wasn't the kind to make up stories like that so I believe him

Next time call a game warden.

[7rider]

I thought swans were protected. And such you are not allowed to disturb them.

<snip>

Next time call a game warden.

They are (http://www.pacificwildlife.org/info/Online%20Docs/fmbtaList.pdf) - under the Migratory Bird Act (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migratory_Bird_Treaty_Act_of_1918). The law makes it unlawful to "pursue, hunt, take, capture, kill, attempt to take, capture or kill, possess, offer for sale, sell, offer to purchase, purchase, deliver for shipment, ship, cause to be shipped, deliver for transportation, transport, cause to be transported, carry, or cause to be carried by any means whatever, receive for shipment, transportation or carriage, or export, at any time, or in any manner, any migratory bird, included in the terms of this Convention . . . for the protection of migratory birds . . . or any part, nest, or egg of any such bird." (http://www.fws.gov/laws/lawsdigest/migtrea.html). Not sure of any precedents, but this family's action could be viewed as "pursue" or "take" or "attempt to take". Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act - I believe "take" also includes "harass" - but I could be mistaken. If that were the case...then it may stand to reason that the family's actions were unlawful in addition to just plain stupid.

[Owlie]

Besides being illegal, that's just dumb.

[PamNY]

That is seriously stupid. It would be tempting to notify child protective services if you knew who these people are.

[Bike Writer]

I thought swans were protected. And such you are not allowed to disturb them.

I sort of recall one of my co-workers many years ago of telling me a story where a hunter shot at a flock of geese in flight. The poor hunter's dumb luck brought down a swan instead. And add more insult, there happened to be a game warden who witnessed the whole thing. Hunter had his shotgun confiscated, and fined something like $8,000 for killing a swan. My co-worker wasn't the kind to make up stories like that so I believe him

Next time call a game warden.

Actually I did discuss my own swan incident with a game warden. This had happened a few years back and at the time I owned a restaurant in the small town of Pinckney and a conservation officer was a frequent luch guest. I talked to him about the swan chasing me and he warned me to protect myself as they can seriously injure a person with their powerful wings. Self defense is ok, people can protect themselves.

Of course what these people were doing at the park to that swan was unlawful. Michigan law states that a person cannot threaten or frighten wildlife or cause them undue stress. They were doing all of the above PLUS endangering their child's life. That swan was probably protecting it's territory and perhaps it's young (and doing a better job than the parents were of the human child). Nevertheless, they are wild creatures and as such will protect and defend. Besides harassing animals being against the law, there is a good reason to give them a wide berth when you are outdoors in their space.

I don't know the folks who were engaged in this behavior but am going to discuss this with persons responsible for patrolling and maintaining the park.