USA, Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park, UNESCO, World Heritage, Trumpeter Swans. (Dukas/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
(FOX 9) - Wildlife officials say trumpeter swans or other waterfowl that appear to be trapped in ice or icy water are likely not in trouble.
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said people often mistake unusual animal behaviors for an animal in distress. When the weather is cold, animals such as trumpeter swans tend to move around less and observers are often not used to seeing them inactive or alone.
“People see them this time of year resting on frozen water or swimming about in small pockets of open water within ice,” Erica Hoaglund, a DNR nongame wildlife specialist, said in a news release. “Observers assume they’re trapped when most of the time they’re not and move on in either a few days or a few weeks. It is not usually the emergency it can first appear to be.”
They are advising Minnesotans to stop and observe the situation before attempting to find help.
If the swan or other animal is in fact in distress, it can often be impossible to reach it safely and it may be impossible to rehabilitate the animal even after it is rescued. The DNR does not recommend people risk their own lives to save a wild animal.