Photos and videos appearing to show a man shooting what looks like fireworks at a swan in Grande Prairie have surfaced on social media. According to the man behind the camera, Steve Kennedy, the footage was shot on Monday, June 17th, between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m.
The man looks to be standing on the shore near Crystal Lake, and a voice can be heard “get out of here!” towards the swan. On more than one occasion, several coloured lights are seen zinging past the bird, startling it.
Trumpeter Swans, like most birds in Canada, are a protected species under the Migratory Birds Convention Act.
Since Kennedy posted the videos on Facebook, members of the public have left hundreds of comments condemning the behaviour, and have shared them in the hopes of identifying the man alleged to be involved.
‘This turns my stomach’, ‘This is disgusting’, and ‘this guy is just an animal’ were some of the responses to Steve Kennedy’s post, titled. “Welcome to Swan City, unless you get too close to this guys back yard, on Crystal Lake.”
MyGrandePrairieNow.com has reached out to Alberta Fish and Wildlife. However, representatives have said the department will not comment until it finishes collecting more information on the incident. The newsroom has also reached out to Enforcement Services and the RCMP.