Close Encounter
(2012)
Subject: Trumpeter Swan Dimensions (inches): 24 x 12 Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Description: I experienced this 'Close Encounter' with a Trumpeter Swan at a local pond in 2011, a joy for me as I have been a close follower and supporter of our regional re-introduction project. It's difficult to imagine that North America's largest waterfowl was so seriously close to extinction due to indiscriminate hunting and loss of wetlands. By 1933 there were only 77 Trumpeter Swans breeding in Canada and 50 in the United States. Intense conservation efforts have saved them from extinction. The U.S. Fish and Game survey of 2010 indicates the North American Trumpeter Swan population to be 46,225. Although 'Protected' the species remains vulnerable and we must remain diligent!
