Swan shot by police in Valkeakoski sparks confusion among residents

Two weeks ago, a shot swan discovered in Valkeakoski has been revealed to have been shot by the police. Aamulehti reported this on Friday. Eija and Pekka Nikkanen, residents of Sääksmäki in Valkeakoski, found the dead mute swan during their morning walk on September 29. The bird was lying in a ditch with a bullet hole.

The Nikkans moved the swan from the side of the road to the edge of the forest and later filed a police report. Mute swans are protected across the entire European Union. On Friday, Valkeakoski police informed Aamulehti that no crime is suspected in this case; the swan shot by police was the one discovered by the Nikkans.

According to Crime Commissioner Maijastiina Tammisto, a report had been made to emergency services about an injured swan chick on the same morning the Nikkans found the dead swan. The police had been to the location before the Nikkans’ morning walk and determined that the bird needed to be euthanized.

Eija Nikkanen expressed confusion regarding the police’s actions. She learned about the situation from a journalist at Yle. “The police’s conduct feels careless. Why was the swan left beside the road in the ditch? It is evident that it attracts scavengers and poses a hazard on the road,” she remarked.

The incident was only clarified the following Friday morning. The police had documented the euthanization of the bird immediately after the task, but they did not connect it to the report made by the Nikkans until they read about it in the news. Yle was unable to reach the Valkeakoski police for further comment.