Mother swan dies of 'broken heart' after cruel teenagers smash her eggs with bricks and pebbles
A mother swan died of a "broken heart" after some teenagers smashed her eggs with bricks, reports state. The incident reportedly occurred last month in Bolton, Greater Manchester when a group of teenagers killed the unborn cygnets after throwing rocks and bricks at them on May 20.
The mother was found dead earlier this week, shortly after the father swan disappeared, according to Manchester Evening News. The boys were reportedly seen throwing rocks and bricks at the swan's nest along Manchester Canal in Kearsley. According to witnesses, the boys were aiming their rocks for the island where the swans had made a nest and smashed three of the six eggs. More eggs were lost in recent weeks, leaving just one surviving egg, wildlife activists who were monitoring the swans said.
The activists also said that the father swan, who appeared stressed by the incident, left the nest nearly two weeks ago and has not returned, while the mother swan has been harassed by moorhens, ducks, and a dog ever since her eggs were attacked. The activists reportedly found the female swan dead in her nest earlier this week.
"There's not much I can say really," activist Sam Woodrow said. "She probably died of a broken heart as she had a partner for life and he was driven away by stress." Swans reportedly die of a broken heart if they lose their partners as they generally mate for life, according to Swan Lifeline. If a swan's mate is killed or disappears, the surviving bird reportedly goes through a similar grieving process as humans.
"Her mate left her on her own and sadly I was informed this morning she was found slumped in her nest dead. I just feel like crying," another activist wrote on Facebook.
A spokesperson for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty toward Animals (RSPCA), 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 news comes days after the Met Police had launched a hunt for a jogger who allegedly kicked a cygnet in Richmond Park in south-west London, on June 8. The tiny bird was reportedly left brain damaged after the incident and died two days later at a sanctuary in Shepperton, Surrey. Police had described the suspect as a white male around 60 years old, of 5ft 6in in height and balding.
In a similar incident last week, teenagers armed with catapults killed a swan and her three cygnets near Eisey Footbridge in Wiltshire. The news was first posted on a Facebook community page, The Only Way is Cricklade, on June 13 and was later shared more than 1,700 times.
"We have had some awful reports of teenagers with catapults attacking swans," the post stated. "One witness advised us that they killed three cygnets and a mother swan last night. They may have killed others as well. This is awful news. A cash reward has been offered for information that leads to a conviction."