As we dive deeper into summer, we can look out for a few things, depending on where you live, of course! For most people, summer means pools, fun drinks, and hot weather. It’s a fun time! Here at Animal Channel, however, we have some other things to look forward to, specifically, animal migrations!
One story centered at the Charles River Esplanade in Boston, Massachusetts, involves a swan and his family.
The nearby park’s lagoon ended up being the perfect place for one swan to raise a family! As the swans migrate north for the summer, they often settle in different places that seem like suitable places to raise their newly hatched babies!
Emme Feeney is a marketing and events coordinator for the Esplanade Association and noticed something interesting in the water!
“In early April, we first noticed they had a nest along the pillars by the lagoon, then shortly after, we saw that the female swan had begun to lay eggs. A total of nine eggs had been laid by early May, and about 10 days ago the cygnets began hatching.”
As they watched, they saw the eggs slowly develop and the time for them to hatch coming sooner and sooner! Not just birdwatchers were interested in the event, either! The public was enraptured in the story just as much.
After some time, seven of the eggs ended up hatching.
It caused a stir!
“They’ve kind of become celebrities in Boston over the past few weeks,” Feeney said.
Even after the hatching of the eggs, people still loved to keep up with the swans. They usually mate for life and the two parents that were watching over the eggs were doing an awesome job sharing the new responsibility.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to last.
The mother swan soon became sick. Within days she had passed away.
“Animal Care and Control received a call with concerns over the female swan’s health, as she seemed to have been bobbing her head and couldn’t stand up on her own,” Feeney said. “But by the time animal control arrived at the park, unfortunately, the female swan had passed.”
It was a heartbreaking moment for the people of Boston who were keeping up with the event, but now all eyes turned to the dad.
As soon as his partner passed, the father swan took up his dutiful responsibility.
Now, the single swan was a single parent! Despite the hardships of finding food AND protecting his little ones, he was doing an amazing job. He would sleep with them all under his wings, just like their mother used to do.
“They seem to be doing well,” Feeney said. “You can spot them in the esplanade lagoon swimming together, with some of the babies riding along on his back.”
He is a very protective dad!
Like any good dad, he’s a bit protective over his kids especially when it comes to strangers!
“Geese will swim by them and you can tell that the papa swan is in full force, protecting the cygnets,” She added. “You can tell that he’s just a great, great father to them. It’s very adorable.”
Although their mother passing away is a heartbreaking event, this papa swan will carry on with his little ones.
Check out a video of him below!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Papa Swan carrying his babies on his back 🥺❤️ @wbz @EsplanadeBoston pic.twitter.com/SqEQkKkV9s
— Anna Meiler (@AnnaMeiler) June 4, 2021
