State can keep killing mute swans, court rules

State wildlife officials can continue to manage the mute swan population as it sees fit, even if it means killing birds and destroying eggs, a federal court has ruled.

That means the Department of Natural Resources can continue its efforts to reduce the mute swan population well below 1,000 statewide.

The ruling, released Friday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, upholds an earlier court ruling in the state's favor. It strikes a blow to the Fund for Animals, which is affiliated with the Humane Society of the United States.

The Fund for Animals and the Humane Society have been trying for...