Five Black Swans Dead In China

Five black swans have been found dead in the north-eastern corner of Anhui University’s old campus in Hefei, capital of Anhui province, according to local media reports.

Danwei points to this front cover story in the local newspaper Star News. The headline above the story reads "The Death of the Swans":

The dead swans join a number of other animals discovered dead in Chinese waters over recent months — 16,000 dead pigs in just one river, for example, and more pigs and ducks dead in others.

The dead pigs have been linked to a clampdown on the illegal pork trade, but the dead swans remain a mystery. According to Danwei, the Star News reporter decided there were four possible conclusions: killed by other animals, poisoned by garbage, water pollution, or disease.