The village of Brimscombe, England, is under attack from an unlikely enemy — swans.
Up until recently, the graceful, white birds have peacefully coexisted with the humans in the Hope Mill Park area. Now residents say the swans are becoming a serious problem that needs to be dealt with.
"They've been attacking people, attacking cars, ruining the gardens, and just making life miserable for us," area resident Barabara Morse told SNWS TV.
Other residents admit they're afraid to leave their houses.
Morse came up with an A+ plan to keep the creatures at bay: Go after them with squirt guns.
(She says she's also seen people use garden hoses.)
"For ten months of the year, they are perfectly OK," a Hope Mill Park representative says of the swans, who become more violent during their mating season. "It is just nature taking its course." Male swans will busk, or raise their wings aggressively, to attract other swans, the NYS Department of Conservation explains.
There isn't a ton local officials can actually do to deal with the swan problem, because swans are protected by royal law and fatally harming them is a punishable offense in England. Nerf guns don't fall under the category of lethal weapons so it looks like Morse is in good legal standing.
Besides, Morse says she and her neighbors don't want anything bad to happen to the creatures — they just want to see the swans go somewhere else. "We want them moved to a safer location for both them and us," she said.
Get a closer look at the swans here or below.
