Swans are one of the few types of animals who mate for life, forming monogamous bonds that last for years. Their bond can be so strong that the image of two swans sitting with their necks entwined in the shape of a heart has become a universal symbol of love.
Although rare, swans can apparently ‘divorce,’ or move onto another partner if the first one dies. But this story below features a special swan who waited for his mate to return instead of moving on.
A month ago, Wendy Hermon, the operations director of Swan Support, received a heart-wrenching phone call. Somebody had spotted a swan sitting at the side of the lake with a smear of blood across her face. When going in for a closer look, the passerby had found that the swan was a new mother and was sitting on a nest of eggs. Her mate, who was nearby, was apparently unable to help.
Swan Support wanted to do all they could to help. The organization rescues, treats, and cares for sick and injured swans, and they are passionate about the work they do, providing 24 hour care for the local swans. As soon as Wendy received the call, rescuers rushed out to the scene, knowing that they didn’t have a minute to spare.
“Both swans were from a lake in Thatcham in Berkshire,” Wendy told The Dodo. “The female was sat on her nest when she was shot.”
Veterinary workers found that the swan had been shot in the head. They were able to remove the bullet from her head, and miraculously, she was able to survive the ordeal.
“She recovered very well,” Wendy said.
The situation was then passed onto the police. In the UK, swans are considered property of the Queen, so any act of violence against these animals is treated as a criminal offence – and rightly so!
The swan recovered quickly, and that Tuesday she was ready to be taken back to the lake. Nobody knew whether her mate would be waiting for her, but when she returned, they were met with the sweetest reaction.
The video was posted by SwanSupport onto Twitter with the caption:
‘#Swan that was #shot in the head whilst sat on her nest in Thatcham has been reunited with her mate. She had surgery to remove the shot from the base of her skull. She has recovered very well. The video is the first moments of their reunion.’
The video became an instant success, with over 565k views and 31.4k likes, and the reunion is a joy to see.
The video begins with the female swan climbing hesitantly into the water and swimming slowly forward. But then as soon as she spots her mate, she seems to relax and begins swimming quickly over to him.
When the swans meet, they interlink their necks and touch cheeks in a joyous act of love, and it’s truly beautiful to watch. You can tell just how happy they are to see each other again.
“It was amazing,” Wendy told The Dodo. “They kept on displaying to each other and chatting. It was very emotional.”
Watch the adorable video below.
UPDATE#Swan that was #shot in the head whilst sat on her nest in Thatcham has been reunited with her mate. She had surgery to remove the shot from the base of her skull. She has recovered very well. The video is the first moments of their reunion. pic.twitter.com/vEB2YhwqAI
— SwanSupport (@swan_support) May 5, 2020
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