Rangers from Shire of East Pilbara, Western Australia, were on hand last month at the Newman Airport to mitigate a potential danger caused by a rare animal visitor.
Swans and cygnets are extremely rare in the Pilbara, normally only located near lakes and dams, but several were seen at the airport between 8am and 11am.
Rangers captured one of the near-mature cygnets and took it to be checked by a vet before it was released at Ophthalmia Dam.
Shire President, Lynne Craigie OAM congratulated the rangers for their quick response to the potential danger.
“Our rangers are great at providing effective and efficient animal control, which allows people and the beautiful animals of our region to safely exist together.
“While they are cute, stray animals like swans on an aerodrome tarmac or runway are dangerous because there is a small risk of colliding with an aircraft.”
Cr Craigie was also impressed with the rangers’ ability to catch the swan, which was difficult to do in a large open area.
Shire of East Pilbara rangers’ duties include snake management, wandering and injured livestock and dog and cat control, including pet registration.
