Animal Aid founder Sue Vidamour with the injured black swan, which was flown out of the island on yesterday evening’s mail plane for treatment to a broken leg at a New Forest sanctuary. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0899618)

A BLACK swan whose leg was broken by a golf ball flew off to England yesterday – thanks to Guernsey Post.

After a three-hour chase around La Grande Mare golf course, with its rescuers dodging golf balls, the injured swan was captured and taken to a vet.

Animal Aid founder Sue Vidamour said it was then important to get the bird to a specialist in the UK.

‘The lady in the New Forest is excellent,’ she said.

‘She has taken some of our birds in before and she specialises in swans. If it isn’t helped, the swan would have to be put down, and we don’t want that.’

An appeal through the local media brought in several offers of help, but it was Guernsey Post which took the bird to Bournemouth on yesterday’s mail plane.

Guernsey Post network logistics co-ordinator Tony Zabiela said it was an unusual cargo.

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