DEWART LAKE – A swan kill permit was issued and executed recently on Dewart Lake. The kill permit was issued to the Dewart Lake Preservation Association in January by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Fish and Wildlife division and carried out by a third party. “They were humanely killed and removed from the lake and humanely buried with DNR approval,” according to Ken Brehob, president of the DLPA. When asked who carried out the kill permit, Brehob responded: “I’m not telling you that.” He also declined to say how many swans were killed. The kill permit was issued to the DLPA on Janaury 10 with Kenneth Brehob, Randy Yoder and Randy Wilkerson listed as assistants. On March 23, an ammendment to the permit also listed Jason Yoder Brad Yoder, Kevin Yoder, Kenny Miller and Lee Rouch as assistants. A copy of the permit was provided by the DNR division of Fish and Wildlife. The permit allowed those listed to: “take adult mute swans with firearms and oil or otherwise destroy mut swan eggs.” The permit also instructed that eggs must be discarded and cannot be kept. The swan species in question is the mute swan, introduced to the United States from Asia, according to the Indiana DNR website. Federal protection for the mute swan was removed by the Migratory Bird Treaty Reform Act in 2004. This change occurred since mute swans are not native. However, all swans are protected in Indiana so a permit must be issued to either own or kill one. Mute swans are identified as the only swan with an orange bill. Two other swans, the trumpeter and tundra swans, are native to the area. Mute swans are considered dangerous as they are not native, aggressive and detrimental to Indiana ecosystems, according to the DNR.
Updated 11:41 a.m. with additional information from the DNR
