Farmers in Russia's Saratov region have begged President Vladimir Putin to help them deal with a swarming population of saiga antelopes, which have destroyed crops and contaminated water supplies
I would understand that “swarm” here is used as a noun, destroy is the verb. The verb uses the third-person singular form (destroys) therefore the subject can’t be “1 million antelopes” (plural), but should be singular, like “one swarm of antelopes”.
“swarm” here is a verb, not a noun. As in, “to swarm”.
“The sappers exploded their charges under the city walls, and the invader’s troops swarmed in through the gap.”
I would understand that “swarm” here is used as a noun, destroy is the verb. The verb uses the third-person singular form (destroys) therefore the subject can’t be “1 million antelopes” (plural), but should be singular, like “one swarm of antelopes”.
But as used in the headline, “…antelope swarm destroys…” the verb is “destroys,” not “swarm.”
No, it’s pretty obviously being used as a noun here.