They’ve got to get the lead out.
A sick swan rescued near E. 19th Street in Sheepshead Bay was diagnosed with lead poisoning by wildlife rehabilitation experts in Manhattan, and the bird doctors say the hapless waterfowl likely picked up the noxious metal while swimming in Sheepshead Bay.
Bird doctors in Manhattan who have studied the creature say it may have gotten poisoned by eating including lead sinkers carelessly tossed into the bay by area anglers.
“If there are fishermen there, if they have tossed away their fishing gear, that could be the cause,” said Rita McMahon, a bird rehabilitator at the Wild Bird Fund in Manhattan, where the animal was taken.
The swan, which this paper has affectionately named Leady, was spotted by Sharon Messer, Assemblyman Steve Cymbrowitz’s office manager, between Shore Parkway and Emmons Avenue on May 30. She said she found the creature unusually docile, unable to move, and, as it turns out, literally suffering from lead feet.
“With lead poisoning, paralysis typically extends from the bottom up,” said McMahon. “First it hits the legs, then the wings, and if it progresses, it can make it impossible for the bird to swallow as the head swells and eyes bulge.”
Cymbrowitz’s office called the 61st Precinct, which arranged for Leady to be taken to the the city’s only wildlife rehabilitation center for birds. Vets there determined that Leady was suffering from lead poisoning, which they say 80 percent of the swans treated at the facility have.
They don’t all make it, but our girl Leady is expected to recover. Leady’s treatment began with a quick charcoal flush, to quickly remove as much of the toxins in her system as possible. This will be followed by a chelation therapy, which will introduce chemicals that bond with the lead in the swan’s blood, allowing her to pass the metal.
Home girl’s not up to walking quite yet, but she’s swimming twice a day, and sometimes stands to stretch her wings.
“That’s a good sign,” said McMahon, adding that Leady should be walking by next week.
Unlike people, bird experts can have trouble determining the gender of certain fowl. Swans, in particular, are notoriously difficult to distinguish by gender. However, they believe that Leady is girl, because she’s so fond of the fellas.
“She doesn’t mind the guys,” said McMahon.
Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixson@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-4514.
