Parents say a ”vicious” swan is attacking ducklings at a Tayport park, traumatising their children.
The bird has already killed three ducklings at a pond near the promenade, according to locals.
Morag Gibson has been visiting the park twice a day to feed the ducklings since they appeared two weeks ago.
She said: ”The male swan is trying to kill them and they’re terrified. It’s a popular spot with families but people don’t want to take their kids down there because they have to endure the sight of these ducklings being attacked.”
One parent, who asked not to be identified, said: ”This male swan is really vicious. It’s trying to drown the ducklings and the children are being traumatised. Everybody’s upset by it.”
Sheila McRobbie of Mill Lane, a regular visitor to the pond, said: ”The ducklings’ mother is trying to protect them but she’s lost three of them to the swan already. The children who visit the park get really upset about it.”
Ms Gibson, who lives in Castle Street, said: ”They’re not going to survive for much longer. There were 19 last week and now there are only 16.”
She has called the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and asked them to intervene.
Scottish SPCA chief superintendent Mike Flynn said: ”We were able to catch the mother duck and two of her ducklings but we were unable to round up the remaining family members.
”We could only remove the animals if we caught the mother and all her babies at the same time, otherwise the remaining ducklings would starve to death.”
The swan is still trying to pick off the ducklings, according to Ms Gibson.
”It’s not his fault,” she said. ”He’s just trying to protect the food supply for his cygnets but it’s soul-destroying to see it happen.”
Mr Flynn said: ”Nature can, at times, be very cruel and sadly swans do attack and kill ducklings. We appreciate that this can be very distressing for people to see.”