Swan
Who doesn’t love the look of a swan- a graceful, long necked beauty that glides across the surface of the water and has inspired countless works of art and myths throughout the ages.
When I volunteered at an animal rescue center on Long Island, where I live, I had the good fortune of directly caring for several swans who had come to the center- most suffering from lead poisoning after ingesting the metal sinkers that fisherman had lost on broken fishing lines that the swans in turn had accidentally ingested while feeding. It was heartbreaking to see these beautiful birds in an incapacitated state due to the pollution of their environment, but unfortunately our impact on the animal world is often devastating.
Swans are found in many parts of the world, but not in very hot or tropical climates like Africa or tropical Asia. They mate for life and can easily live 20 years in the wild and as long as 50 years in captivity! I particularly love the words used to describe them- for instance, a female swan is called a Pen , while a male is referred to as a Cobb and babies are Cygnets. A group of swans is called a Bevy, and when they are in flight they’re a Wedge. They are often looked upon as a symbol of love because of their instinct for monogamy - most impressive!
When I volunteered at an animal rescue center on Long Island, where I live, I had the good fortune of directly caring for several swans who had come to the center- most suffering from lead poisoning after ingesting the metal sinkers that fisherman had lost on broken fishing lines that the swans in turn had accidentally ingested while feeding. It was heartbreaking to see these beautiful birds in an incapacitated state due to the pollution of their environment, but unfortunately our impact on the animal world is often devastating.
Swans are found in many parts of the world, but not in very hot or tropical climates like Africa or tropical Asia. They mate for life and can easily live 20 years in the wild and as long as 50 years in captivity! I particularly love the words used to describe them- for instance, a female swan is called a Pen , while a male is referred to as a Cobb and babies are Cygnets. A group of swans is called a Bevy, and when they are in flight they’re a Wedge. They are often looked upon as a symbol of love because of their instinct for monogamy - most impressive!