Michigan conservation officers probe deaths of 2 trumpeter swans in state park in Macomb

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is investigating the deaths earlier this month of two trumpeter swans found with gunshot wounds at a state park in Macomb County.

Officers said on the DNR's Facebook page they suspect the adult and juvenile swans were shot as they attempted to land on a pond at Wetzel State Park. Their bodies were discarded in nearby tall brush between Dec. 4 and Dec. 5, the post said.

Trumpeter swans are a threatened species in Michigan and are illegal to hunt.

Wetzel State Park is a 900-acre undeveloped recreation park in Macomb County used for hiking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing and hunting, according to the DNR.

Anyone with information on the deaths of the swans is asked to call or text the DNR's poaching hotline at 1 (800) 292-7800. Tipsters can remain anonymous and could quailfiy for a cash reward, the DNR said.