Injured Swan Recovers And Reunites With Her Mate

Imagine not being able to feel safe in your own home environment, even while enjoying quality time with your family Unfortunately, that was exactly the plight of a flock of swans just last month. On April 22nd, a cruel shooting attack was perpetrated on a group of swans in Thatcham, a town in the South East English district of Berkshire. Five were left injured including one mother swan who was in the midst of tending to her nest of unhatched eggs. Thankfully, they were found by a swan rehabilitation center called Swan Support.

The five swans were shot with bullets from an air rifle The mother swan was hit in the head as she was tending to her nest of eggs. After being taken to the Swan Support center along with her eggs, the mother swan was quickly tended to by medical staff. Luckily, the bullet was swiftly removed from her head, and her condition post-operation was stable. One of the five swans who was injured was not as lucky and tragically passed away soon after. Just recently, the center lifted people’s spirits by posting an incredibly wholesome and moving video of the mama swan returning to her home and reuniting with her mate post-recovery:

The period between April and July is prime nesting season for swans. Typically mating in the winter, the start laying their eggs towards the end of April, upon which those eggs are incubated for 32 to 45 days. As the female swan tends to her eggs, the male swan remains alert, keeping his mate and babies safe from any nearby threats or predators. Sadly, there are some predators that these swans are unequipped to defend themselves against – namely, humans. Swan Support rescues injured and sick swans within The Thames Valley, a region in South East England. The center reported an increase of violent attacks on swans in West Berkshire during the lockdown period.