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Journalism of Courage
Poppy farmers in Slovakia are dealing with a truly unique problem – swans who have discovered a newfound addiction to their crops.
As per Baltic News, the swans first arrived at poppy farms in southwestern Slovakia’s Komarno town in February this year and have remained there since then. The birds not only destroyed the poppy farms but also ended up getting so intoxicated that they could hardly fly, making them highly susceptible to predators. Many of the birds also died of an overdose.
Since swans are a protected species in Slovakia, farmers cannot use forceful methods to remove them from the fields despite the continuous loss of crops. According to the report, damages caused by swans are not covered by private insurers or the government, adding to the predicament of the farmers.
Many animal rescuers and volunteers from groups like the Slovak Environmental Protection Agency have since tried to relocate the swans. The change in location could help in ‘detoxifying’ the birds. However, experts are concerned that the swans may return to the poppy fields on recovering.
On Thursday, DW News shared a video of volunteers hauling off intoxicated swans from poppy fields to relocate them. Commenting on it, a Twitter user wrote, “So the swans are now going cold turkey…”. Another person remarked, “Addicted swans, now I’ve heard it all. I can’t decide if this is really funny or just sad.”
