$1,000 Reward Offered In Case Of Long Island Swan Impaled By Hunting Arrow

HAMPTON BAYS, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Who would do something like this?

A helpless swan was shot with an arrow on Long Island. Now, $1,000 reward is being offered to catch the heartless creep, reports CBS 2's Mark Morgan.

Animal experts believe this was no accident. An adult mute swan was found Friday with an arrow sticking through its body. It was a hunting arrow, meaning this act was intentional.

"Just to see the arrow going completely through the bird, you have to get it at close range, and you have to aim right at the bird to do that," said Mark Lembo, executive director of the Evelyn Alexander Wildlife Rescue Center in Hampton Bays.

The arrow was removed to reveal a gruesome wound, and the swan has been recovering at the center.

"We immediately put him on IV fluids. We put him on pain medications, and obviously antibiotics. Right now he's recovering fairly well. He's eating on his own," hospital technician Ryan Ortiz said.

The bird is unable to walk, but on Monday stood on its feet for the first time since coming to the rescue center.

Jim MacDougall of Wading River said he discovered the injured swan while kayaking near Indian Island Co. Park Friday. He watched over the weakened bird until wildlife officials arrived.

"I gently got him into a spot where I could kind of corral him between the front, the bow of my kayak, my paddle, and the shore, because I knew he couldn't walk onto the shore," MacDougall said.

Mute swans normally fly only out of necessity, so this bird was likely shot at close range. Why would someone intentionally try to kill a swan?

"I don't really understand the mindset. I believe people do it just for fun, just to have that type of thrill," Lembo said.

Lembo said X-rays will show how much internal damage was caused by the arrow, and, barring complications, the swan will hopefully be returned to the wild by the end of August.

Animal cruelty is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison, and/or a $1,000 fine.

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