Some Sheepshead Bay Residents Not Happy With DEC's Plan To Remove Mute Swans
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Some Sheepshead Bay residents say they're upset after learning of the state Department of Environmental Conservation's plan to eradicate the mute swan population in their neighborhood.
Mute swans are large white birds with orange and black bills; they are less vocal than other swans.
Some Sheepshead Bay Residents Not Happy With DEC's Plan To Remove Mute Swans
As 1010 WINS' Gary Baumgarten reported, DEC officials say an overpopulation of the swans are having a negative impact on the surrounding environment.
Those who live in the area, however, say they love the swans and don't want to see them removed or killed.
"I love to see them on the water. People come and see them, you know, from other countries sometimes they come around here. Why they gonna kill them?" one resident said.
Other residents told Baumgarten the swans are why they moved into the neighborhood.
The proposed state plan would allow mute swans to be shot or euthanized, sterilized, or captured and placed in a zoo or other wildlife facility, WCBS 880′s Sophia Hall previously reported.
The DEC said it expects the swan-culling project would take 10 years.
Public comment on the plan is open through Jan. 31.
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