Swans For Britain

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 38, 9 June 1947, Page 8

Swans For Britain

If the Department of Internal Affairs would authorise swan drives during July the Society would be pleased to co-operate, according to a letter received from the North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society by the secretary of the Christchurch Famine emergency committee (Mr E. A. Chivers), who had suggested special swan drives to augment food for Britain. The Society’s letter said that if the drives could be organised their success would depend on weather conditions and other factors beyond the control of shooters. Kea Attacks Sheep Keas normally keep well up on the ranges, but a station owner whose place lies between Waiau and Kaikoura, reports an attack on sheep in the woolshed yards, states the “Press,” Christchurch. When the sheep were mustered in the home paddocks recently it was noticed that several had been attacked. A watch was kept and a kea was seen to attack the sheep within 100 yards of the woolshed and even in the yards. In the evening, which was moonlight, the manager went out about 9.30 o’clock and shot the kea while it was on the sheep’s back. Both the sheep and the kea were killed with the shot. The kea when examined was found to have meat in its mouth. Five sheep were seriously damaged by the kea and of these three have died. The others are too badly flyblown to live. Several other sheep were less seriously damaged. Normally, damage by keas is confined to snow regions, but in this case the kea followed the j sheep in and attacked them, in the yards.