Swan rescue attempts in Northern Kazakhstan

Petropavlovsk, October 28, 2009 (Khabar) - 14 swans have become trapped in ice at the Solyonoye Lake near the city of Petropavlovsk. According to specialists, the birds are around 5 months old and they haven’t managed to feather and fly to warm countries yet. Beskol villagers reported the freezing swans at the Lake to the regional emergency situations department. Officials from the rescue services arrived at the scene immediately. However, it was very difficult to reach the unfrozen patch of water occupying around only 4 square meters as the ice was extremely thin. Rescuers say they will have to wait until the ice grows thicker while ecologists are now deciding where the swans will live once they have been rescued.

Oleg Bespalov, chief specialist, North Kazakhstan region territorial forestry and hunting inspection:
- Later on, when the ice grows thicker, we will be able to rescue the birds. It is now impossible to reach the swans in a boat as there is 3.5 centimeters of ice. Once we get close to them, they start running away.