aibu to think they knew stealing two swans from the park to eat is illegal?

[inneedofsomehelpplz]

watched emergency animal rescue & the rspca were called as two men were seen taking two swans home from the park - the rspca went to the house & eventually someone turned up to translate. they stated that they bought birds to release in the park for their kids to play with. so why was there a swans head in the bin along with feathers & poor swans were cooking in a pot. if they didnt think theyd doneanything wrong, why lie?

swans are amazing creatures & aibu to think that they shouldve been arrested & charged?

[SPsTotallyMullerFuckingLicious]

Kim Tastier too no doubt

[Tee2072]

Boooom

I think swan is very oily.

I don't think the Queen owns my daffodils. Especially as I live in Northern Ireland. There would, probably, be a parade about it if she did.

[KirjavaTheCat]

lol crypes

[Booooom]

How did the men take the swans when everyone knows that a swan's wing can break a man's arm.
They must be very brave.

[MrsGeologist]

Swans apparently taste like shit anyway, unless they are corn fed swans.

[SilverApples]

Not brave, you can use a snare, or a wire loop on a stick.

[applebread]

I was crying at daffodils

I am weeping at swan tupping

Thank you mn

[petrock]

Why can't they just buy their swan from Waitrose like everyone else?

[Misspixietrix]

Petrock its no fun that way

[Misspixietrix]

applebread MN hasnt half cheered me up this weekend

[ProudAS]

I wouldn't go so far as to call myself an expert but I have been taking an interest in local swans for many years and fundraising for a rescue centre.

Most of the mute swans in Britain belong to the queen although there are a few exceptions.

They can be vicious but some are very docile. There are ways to grab a swan without hurting it or you but they were taking a risk if they didn't know what they were doing.

I think the bit about swans being able to break an arm is a myth (maybe someone is aware of it actually happening) but they can inflict bruises.

Taking mute swans to eat is almost certainly illegal in UK. I'm not sure about other swan species.

[Birdsgottafly]

Swans mate for life, so good on them for taking both if them, Swans put up a hell of a fight, so it must have took some effort.

There does have to be a conscious breaking of the law, for the case to stand up in court, so not knowing an act is illegal is a defence.

I think that if we honestly need food banks then poaching is valid, it doesn't matter what the creature is.

I don't eat meat, though, so have a different view on what animal is ok to live and die, usually in misery.

Although I don't eat meat, I agree with hunting, at least the animal has had a life.

I hope that they have had a finance/welfare check, otherwise the cat population may have a sudden drop

[absentmindeddooooodles]

Sp someone told me that too.

[HorryIsUpduffed]

I read recently (in an article about the swan counting) that a swan couldn't break a man's arm but could potentially break a more fragile arm eg on someone with osteoporosis, or a toddler.

[ParsingFancy]

Dying here at swan tupping.

[GerundTheBehemoth]

It's illegal to kill almost all wild birds in Britain. There are a few common species that you can kill under a general licence (with the landowner's permission) if they're seriously damaging crops or causing a serious public health or nature conservation problem (though you're supposed to try non-lethal solutions like scaring first). And a few more are on the quarry list so you can kill them during the open season. Mute Swans are protected at all times, ditto our two other swan species.

[TeaLadyExtraordinaire]

Swan Upping - it's where the saying One Upmanship comes from !

I'd love to see someone tup a swan !!!

[williaminajetfighter]

Apparently swans taste like crap.

At Lancaster university peacocks walk around the grounds. Rumour has it every year a few foreign students round some up for an exotic dinner. Dunno if it's true or not. Perhaps people have a different take on what's edible and appropriate to snatch.

[AndIFeedEmGunpowder]

This thread reminds me of that article in the paper a few years ago about the man who ate a swam because he was so hungry after Ramadan.

Aah! It was like Daily Mail bingo.

[comingalongnicely]

Funny really, you can eat goose, duck, chicken, turkey, pheasant, partridge, pigeon & probably a few more but people get upset about swans.

I'd have no problems having a swan for christmas dinner - as long as it had been reared in the same conditions as the equivalent goose or turkey.

Plus the buggers are everywhere now, as they have very few predators - before you know it they'll be going "urban", rifling through bins & nicking babies...

Eat the lot I say!

[BillStickersIsInnocent]

Isn't swan served every year at the St John's College Cambridge May Ball?

But that's for posh people so it doesn't count.

[giraffescantdanceallnight]

Just eat a horse instead. Many more meals than a measly swan

[Lethologica]

I wish people would eat some of the Canadien geese around here. There. Are bloody millions of them and they are shitty and noisy.