A juvenile swan that wandered too far from the safety of the Bird Park in Salina ended up being shot and wounded after the police refused to allow the park owner to capture it because he could not prove it belonged to him, the park owner is claiming.

Kevin Mallia told Times of Malta that the six-month-old swan was a rare hybrid, the offspring of a whooper swan and a mute swan, which do not normally mate in the wild. The swan bears a distinctive yellow and orange beak.

On Friday, Mr Mallia noticed that the swan had spread its wings for the first time and temporarily abandoned the pond to explore the horizons.

Officers asked me to back off, saying I could not prove that the swan belonged to me

“At this point I was not alarmed – it’s completely normal for the birds to fly off. But they always return to the park.”

The next day, he spotted the swan heading towards the park, only to be driven off by the noise of roadworks and of gunshot, which were not being aimed at the bird.

He was then informed that the swan had swooped down into the Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq bay and was attracting attention.

The juvenile swan that was shot.

“By then I was really worried – I knew from past experience that it would soon become a target for hunters. I rushed on site and found Administrative Law Enforcement (ALE) officers who were attempting to get close to it.” The swan was paddling close to the shore but when the ALE officers tried to approach it, it swam slightly further out.

“I would have captured it but they wouldn’t let me. They asked me to back off, saying I could not prove that the swan belonged to me.

“It’s true, it was not microchipped or ringed. Swans are very protective and its parents would have become aggressive and would have caused mayhem, even to other birds, had I tried to approach her at the park.

“Had it been a mute swan, which are common in the wild, I would have done my utmost to catch it and ring it.

“But it is a hybrid and these are rare in the wild. Moreover, I told them I could easily prove that it belonged to me through a DNA test, which I would have paid for myself.”

Had he taken the swan to the park, he continued, the juvenile’s mother would have become very vicious and would even try to attack him because he was holding her young. Swans share a very close bond with their offspring, which would have been evident had the swan been taken to its parents.

“I told them that the swan would fly off again and would be shot down. Is that what you want? But they told me to back off and not to insist further.”

The swan took off again and flew to Pembroke. The police and Mr Mallia attempted to locate her but were unsuccessful.

Back at Salina, Mr Mallia was visited by the ALE officers, who said they had spotted the bird gliding towards the park. However a search of the area yielded no results.

On Saturday evening, as stillness descended over the park, Mr Mallia heard the mother swan call out to its young and he heard the juvenile answering. However he was unable to spot it in the dark.

“Then, at 7.05pm, I heard a gunshot ring through the air.

“I did not see anything so I couldn’t say anything. However, unofficially through trusted channels, I was told the ALE had succeeded in locating the swan. It had been shot and had a broken leg and a number of other injuries but it was still alive.

“It has since been taken to the quarantine centre in Luqa where it should be taken care of by the vet.

“It’s frustrating because all this could have been avoided easily.

“Although the problem is not as intense as before, when ‘hunters’ used to flock to the area around the bird park, there are still a number of birds who fly away and never return because they are shot.”

Questions sent to the police yesterday evening remained unanswered by the time of going to print.