- Title: GERMANY: HAMBURG'S SWAN POPULATION RETURNS TO THE RIVER ALSTER AFTER WINTER
- Date: 11th April 2005
- Summary: (L!1) HAMBURG, GERMANY (APRIL 11, 2005) (REUTERS) CLOSE OF SWANS WIDE OF SWANS SWIMMING ON THE MUEHLENTEICH POND IN THE EPPENBURG DISTRICT OF HAMBURG, VARIOUS VIEWS CLOSE OF TWO SPECTATORS WIDE OF CHILDREN AND SPECTATORS STANDING ON THE BANK WIDE OF SWANS SWIMMING ON THE MUEHLENTEICH POND, VARIOUS VIEWS CLOSE OF A SWAN AND PULL OUT TO SHOW NUMEROUS SWANS ON THE POND CLOSE OF TWO SWANS SWIMMING AND PREENING AND ZOOM IN TO ONE SWAN SCU SOUNDBITE (German) SWAN KEEPER OLAF NIESS, SAYING: "On the one hand it is the case that we have the animals protected in here and you know that nothing can happen to them. On the other hand, it is of course nice when the swans form part of the cityscape and are swimming on the Alster. But they are exposed to a lot of dangers there, like animal cruelty, dog bites, fishhooks or a whole range of other things which can come together. To be honest it is fifty-fifty." CLOSE OF SWANS BEING LET OUT TO THE ALSTER AND SWIMMING AWAY, AND PULL OUT VARIOUS OF SWANS SWIMMING TO THE ALSTER RIVER CLOSE OF NIESS IN A BOAT GUIDING THE SWANS VARIOUS OF SWANS SWIMMING TOWARDS THE ALSTER AND PULL OUT CLOSE OF SPECTATORS STANDING ON A BRIDGE WIDE OF SWANS SWIMMING UNDER A BRIDGE AND TOWARDS THE ALSTER WIDE OF SWANS SWIMMING AND FLAPPING THEIR WINGS ON THE ALSTER AND PULL OUT TO SHOW THE HAMBURG SKYLINE IN THE BACKGROUND
- Embargoed: 26th April 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HAMBURG, GERMANY
- City:
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Environment
- Reuters ID: LVAA3LWQNCK2KT42C32SXIYHXLHC
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Hamburg's swan population leaves its winter quarters and returns to the Alster river.
Spring arrived in Hamburg as 120 swans were gently chased along several canals until they reached the city's Alster river on Monday (April 11, 2005).
The swans spent the winter months on Muehlenteich pond in the Eppendorf district of Hamburg, which city officials kept from freezing over - just for the swans.
Swan representative Olaf Niess told Reuters Television that he had mixed emotions on seeing the swans leaving their winter quarters, as letting them back on to the Alster means that they are faced with the dangers of the outside world: "On the one hand it is the case that we have the animals protected in here and you know that nothing can happen to them. On the other hand, it is of course nice when the swans form part of the cityscape and are swimming on the Alster. But they are exposed to a lot of dangers there, like animal cruelty, dog bites, fishhooks or a whole range of other things which can occur."
Hamburg has granted the graceful animals special privileges for decades.
According to tradition, the city council put swans under special protection in 1664. Ever since, it has been forbidden to "insult, hurt or kill" the birds. From 1818, a Hamburg city "swan representative" has been in charge of the animals.
Swan representative Olaf Niess took over the job from his father and is now in charge of feeding the swans, treating any injuries and taking them to their winter quarters. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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