Boomer bounces back after wing injury

By Chelsea Boyle

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Boomer the swan has bounced back from a partial wing amputation following an injury – delighting those who feed it.

Jan Williams and Anne Woodley were in celebratory moods yesterday as their favourite black swan was released back onto Henley Lake, Masterton.

Boomer had ended up with an infected wing after being found by the pair in a bad state at the lake.

Yesterday he was back waddling around but will never fly again.

Mrs Williams and Mrs Woodley have long enjoyed visiting the lake to feed the bird.

“He always comes straight up on the grass to see us,” Mrs Williams said.

She noticed his injury straight away.

“The first time I saw him coming towards me, he tripped over on his wing and fell on his face.”

Mrs Williams tried getting in touch with the Masterton District Council and a nearby park ranger for help, but it was not until she got in touch with the Wellington SPCA that somebody came to collect Boomer.

By that time, Mrs Williams and Mrs Woodley had been taking care of the injured swan for about four months.

They had to trim his feathers about three times to stop the swan from regularly falling over.

SPCA senior animal welfare inspector Ben Lakomy collected Boomer on October 4 and took him to the SPCA base in Newtown, Wellington to see if it was suitable for rehabilitation.

Boomer was then transferred to the Wellington Bird Rehabilitation Trust, where it was up to specialist Craig Shepherd to try and save it.

“He was worse for wear when he came in despite everyone’s best efforts.”

He had had a traumatic injury and it was infected and necrotic, he said.

Boomer was taken to the vet for a partial wing amputation and then was kept on antibiotics.

Mrs Woodley said she had “missed [Boomer] so much”.

“Three hundred and sixty-five days a year I am here to feed him – come rain, hail or shine.”