Disneyland accused of hiding dead swan in panic

[Loomis]

Disneyland accused of hiding dead swan in panic

DISNEYLAND Paris was accused yesterday of hiding a dead swan as panic over bird flu spread across Europe.

The allegations, angrily denied by the resort, were made by trade unions who said managers had hushed up the discovery to avoid scaring off visitors.

The row came amid what experts are describing as an avian flu psychosis after the arrival of the H5N1 virus.

In France, police officers have been sent to shoot wild ducks, the fire service has been inundated with requests to pick up dead pigeons, and cockerels banned from fighting are 'expiring from apoplexy'.

Scare

The scare reached Disneyland when two unions, the French Democratic Workers Confederation and Workers' Force, said staff had seen a dead swan in the adventure park.

Although there was no suggestion the swan had fallen victim to bird flu - or even proof that it had actually existed - the report featured prominently on the radio news.

The resort, which attracts 12m visitors a year, denounced the claims as "unacceptable lies". A spokesman said the only birds found dead on the site were a sparrow and pigeon, which had succumbed to natural causes.

Disneyland accused unions of making up the swan scare story to put pressure on management during wage negotiations. The confirmation yesterday of two new cases of bird flu in cats on the German Baltic Sea Island of Ruegen provoked fresh concerns from animal welfare societies.

[Escapay]

Bird flu or not, it would make sense for them to hide a dead swan. It's not really good show to have dead things hanging around the park. I doubt guests would want to see dead things in the park anyways... I was working the Adventureland Nut Wagon when a guest came up and said, "Excuse me...but there's a dead bird lying on that bench over there. I covered it, if that's okay." So I had to call in and have Animal Control come and take the bird away.

Escapay

[Raydawggie]

Oh, Disneyland PARIS! Disney's ugly stepsister! I didn't think it would be the real deal.

[Jules]

Dead swan in Disneyland Paris?

Sounds sort of fishy to me...

[Son Of Flubber]

Oh, Disneyland PARIS! Disney's ugly stepsister!

No, that would be Disney's California Adventure.
Euro Disneyland is gorgeous.