Disease kills swans on the K&A Canal

A killer bacterial disease that is made worse by cold weather has been taking its toll on swans on the Kennet & Avon Canal and the River Thames this winter. 

Wendy Hermon of the Eton-based Swan Lifeline says that more than 150 swans have died on the Thames and the K&A Canal this year. "It is the first time we have seen deaths from necrotic enteritis (NE) which is a bacterial disease made worse by cold weather," she said, "It is just so sad, we are picking up swans that we have known for years. We go out and find three or four swans floating on the water. In all the years I've worked here I've never seen anything like it —  It's just so upsetting".