L'irascibile Mr Asbo

Un grazie a Ross di Attaccabottone per avermi segnalato l'esistenza di Mr Asbo

I canottieri di Cambridge hanno lanciato un appello alla regina Elisabetta affinché la sovrana, che per tradizione è proprietaria di tutti i cigni del Regno, dia il suo assenso all'uccisione di un esemplare estremamente aggressivo.
«Mr Asbo», battezzato proprio con la sigla dei provvedimenti per comportamenti antisociali che i tribunali danno ai teppisti, terrorizza le persone che quotidianamente percorrono il fiume Cam con i suoi attacchi furiosi, che lasciano i canottieri ricoperti di lividi e tagli.
Stando a quanto riportato dal «Daily Telegraph», l'uccello dal temperamento violento aggredisce qualsiasi barca gli si avvicini troppo e ha già ferito dozzine di canottieri, al punto che alcuni hanno deciso di abbandonare il loro sport per paura di finire sotto il becco affilato dell'animale.Lo scorso gennaio Bill Key, capo dell'Associazione di Canottaggio, ha mandato delle e-mail a tutti i canottieri avvertendoli di mantenere le distanze dal cigno. Ma pare che quest'anno il comportamento di Mr Asbo sia ulteriormente peggiorato: in pochi mesi ha fatto ribaltare numerosi canottieri e si è messo addirittura a inseguire le barche a motore, prendendo di mira soprattutto i timonieri. Key ha deciso di prendere provvedimenti più drastici, lanciando un appello direttamente alla regina: «Non si può più andare avanti in questo modo», ha detto, «per colpa di Mr Asbo alcuni timonieri stanno pensando di lasciare il loro mestiere. Il problema è gravissimo, qualcuno della mia associazione ha rischiato di perdere un occhio».



A detta degli esperti, il comportamento del cigno è un modo di proteggere la sua compagna e il suo nido che si trova nelle vicinanze. Adesso toccherà alla regina decidere se condannare a morte o salvare il temutissimo Mr Asbo, cigno ribelle. (tratto dal sito de Il Giornale che cita fonte: Ansa, 20 aprile 2010)

Ecco la stessa notizia come appare sul sito della BBC:

Rowers in Cambridge have called for the Queen to remove an aggressive swan nicknamed "Mr Asbo" which they claim attacks people using the river.

The bird patrols a 1,600ft (488m) stretch of water near its nest in Fen Ditton, a spokesman from the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association said.

President Bill Key said the swan flaps its wings and pecks rowers and boats.

Mr Key said the cox of his crew is afraid to go into the water because she was injured in an attack by the swan.

The Cam Conservators said they have been in discussions about its removal.

Her Majesty's Warden of the Swans, Prof Chris Perrins, who works in the zoology department at Oxford University, said: "The Crown does not own this bird but it can claim it."

He said it is essential that permission is sought from Her Majesty's Swan Marker, David Barber, who advises on behalf of the Crown whether a claim for ownership will be made.

If approval is given, a licence must be collected from Natural England.

Prof Perrins said the options include relocating the swan or clipping the feathers on one wing to discourage aggressive behaviour by throwing it off balance when it attacks.

Mr Key said that 1,000 local rowers and 2,000 university students use the stretch of water.

"This swan caused untold disruption and injury last year and the same thing is happening again now," said Mr Key.

"There have been dozens and dozens of attacks.

"The cox of my own crew is frightened to go in the water because she received bruising from an attack in the past."

E questa è la versione del sito di notizie locali cambridge-news.co.uk

ROWERS are calling for an aggressive swan to be removed from the River Cam before someone is injured.

River users nicknamed the bird Mr Asbo last year after he spent the summer attacking boats on the river, near Fen Ditton.

This year however he has moved further into the city and is terrorising canoeists, rowers and even motorised boats, on the stretch of water close to the Green Dragon pub.

Bill Key, president of the Cambridgeshire Rowing Association has asked the Conservators of the River Cam to “remove the offending bird”.

He said: “The swan situation is most serious and someone is going to be badly injured or worse – indeed a number of injuries have already occurred.”

It’s not just rowers being targeted. Horningsea man Ashley Sparkes, 27, and his daughter Madison, 7, were paddling in an inflatable dinghy when the bird turned angry.

“Madison was really scared. We were attacked twice. The second time we were not even close to him,” said Mr Sparkes.

“We were about 200 metres away when he took off from the water and came at us, at full speed, flapping his wings.”

He added he did not want the bird removed.

The conservators’ deputy manager Jonathon Wakefield said they were in discussions about what to do.

“We are liaising with various governing bodies to see what the options are. We have not heard back yet what is possible. The standard line is it should not be moved at this time of year when they are starting to nest, but as people are complaining perhaps that is going to change.”

Her Majesty’s Warden of the Swans, Oxford academic Prof Christopher Perrins, told the News: “First they speak to us as the Queen has the right to ownership of any swan. If, and I am sure this will be the case, she declines ownership then they must approach Natural England to get a licence to do anything.”

Dr Perrins added the options could include moving the swan or clipping one of its wings so that, when it attacked, it would be thrown off balance.

“That would have the effect of discouraging its aggressive behaviour,” he said.

He added: “We get two or three such cases a year. It certainly seems in this case, if he is attacking bigger boats, that he might have to be moved for his own safety and for that of other river users.”