Poppy farmers in Slovakia grapple with an unusual predicament: Swans addicted to opium

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Slovakia's Komarno town are facing an unprecedented challenge as swans have developed an unexpected addiction to their crops, according to reports from Baltic News. This phenomenon began in February of this year when the swans first arrived at the poppy farms, and they have since remained, wreaking havoc on the fields. Not only have these birds destroyed the poppy plants, but they have also become dangerously intoxicated, rendering them unable to fly properly and easy targets for predators.

Tragically, some swans have even lost their lives due to overdosing on the opium-rich poppy plants. Adding to the farmers' distress is the fact that swans are protected species in Slovakia. This means that the farmers are unable to resort to forceful methods to remove the birds from their fields, despite the ongoing devastation to their crops.

Furthermore, neither private insurers nor the government cover the damages caused by swans, leaving the farmers in a dire situation. In response to this peculiar predicament, animal rescuers and volunteers, including those from the Slovak Environmental Protection Agency, have made valiant efforts to relocate the swans. The hope is that a change in surroundings will help the swans detoxify from their addiction.

However, experts express concerns that once the swans have recovered, they may be drawn back to the poppy fields, exacerbating the problem. A video shared by DW News captured the determined volunteers diligently removing intoxicated swans from the poppy fields to relocate them. In response to the video, social media users expressed a mix of amusement and concern.