A beautiful swan in England has died of a 'broken heart' after evil vandals smashed her eggs with bricks, killing two of her unborn cygnets – one thankfully survived. It is a horrendous attack that has left people asking why someone would do something so evil and for so little purpose.
The nest sat along the Manchester canal in Bolton, a short journey from the city of Manchester and it has been reported that a group of teenage boys were, seen in the area throwing bricks – they are therefore strongly suspected of carrying out the vandalism.
Wildlife activists believe that the mother swan, who was found dead near the nest around a week later, died from grief. Not only had her cygnets been killed, but the stress of the attack drove away her life-partner, leaving her entirely alone. Swans mate for life and suffer greatly if ever separated from their partners.
Did you know?
— Daniela (@Daniela_just_me) May 30, 2020
Swans only have one partner for there whole life. If their partner dies, they could pass away from broken heart pic.twitter.com/m5xID82jB2
On the 'All About Bolton' Facebook page, a post revealed the sad news. It reads:
"I really don't want to do this post today because it comes with great sadness. I have tried to keep you updated on this swan who laid six eggs, three were destroyed by youths, she has then been harassed by dogs jumping in and harassed by a duck and moor hen and two more eggs were lost leaving her with one egg. Her mate left her on her own and sadly I was informed this morning she was found slumped in her nest dead. Just feel like crying as I have followed her progress for about 12 weeks."
A Swan 🦢Dies In Manchester With a Broken Heart After💔 Some Vandalized Youth Destroy Their lost Eggs🥚 With Bricks pic.twitter.com/FFIPn5CFY2
— The 13th Warrior (@strange16892330) June 21, 2020
A spokesperson for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), who are investigating the incident, said:
"This is a really sad development and it is very upsetting to hear about the death of this poor swan. We are investigating the previous distressing incident and we would urge anyone with information to contact our appeals line on 0300 123 8018. Swans, their nests and their eggs are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981."
The surviving cygnet is being looked after by the organisation.
The public outrage has been palpable and some have even put up cash rewards for information that leads to the capture of the vandals.
While swans do have a reputation for being aggressive animals they only become so when their territory, young or partners are threatened. They are in fact known to be highly social, intelligent creatures with deep emotional bonds.
Although swans were once eaten for meat in England, the killing of them has been outlawed since the 1980s. While some believe it to be only a rumour, it is in fact absolutely true that the Queen of England automatically owns every swan in the country.
Let's hope the perpetrators of this wicked crime are caught fast.
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