Whooper swan populations ‘grew 30 times faster in UK nature reserves’

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Populations of whooper swans have grown 30 times faster inside nature reserves than outside over the past three decades, research has shown. Our findings provide strong evidence that nature reserves are hugely beneficial for whooper swans, and could dramatically increase their numbers in the UK Dr ‪Andrea Soriano-Redondo “However, the effectiveness of protected areas is not always clear – especially when species move between protected and non-protected areas throughout their lives. “Our findings provide strong evidence that nature reserves are hugely beneficial for whooper swans, and could dramatically increase their numbers in the UK.” Whooper swans are usually winter visitors to the UK from Iceland, where they spend summers. Using data spanning 30 years, the researchers found the annual population growth rate of whooper swans inside nature reserves was 6%, compared to 0.2% outside reserves.