After reckless vandals ruthlessly smashed a swan mother’s unhatched eggs with bricks, she allegedly died of ‘broken heart’.
The unborn cygnets were killed by a group of teenage yobs who hurled rocks and bricks at them. As Mail Online reports, the tragic incident happened last month in Bolton, Greater Manchester.
Earlier this week, the swan mother was found dead, soon after the father swan disappeared. The vandals were spotted throwing bricks and rocks at the swan’s nest along Manchester Canal in Kearsley on May 20, as the Manchester Evening News reveals.
According to onlookers, the teenage yobs were aiming for the little island where the swan’s nest was located. Sadly, three of the six unhatched eggs were brutally smashed. Furthermore, wildlife activists who were looking after the swans claim more eggs were recently lost, leaving only one surviving egg. Unfortunately, the father swan was struggling with severe stress issues, so he was driven away from the nest. He has not returned since.
Before her death, the female swan has been also harassed by other animals including hens, ducks, and a dog.
Earlier this week, the swan mother was found dead in her nest.
Activists believe the reason for her death is a ‘broken heart’.
Sam Woodrow, one of the swan’s carers, said:
“There’s not much I can say really. She probably died of a broken heart as she had a partner for life and he was driven away by stress.”
As swans generally mate for life, it has been known they can die of a broken heart when losing their partners.
In a heartbreaking Facebook post, Michael Mason wrote:
“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.”
As Swan Sanctuary explains, when swans lose their partner, they go through a similar grieving process as humans.
Sadly, after losing most of her babies, and her life-mate, the mother swan couldn’t survive.
A spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 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.”
This heartbreaking incident comes shortly after the Met Police launched a hunt for a jogger who cruelly kicked a baby cygnet out of his way in Richmond Park earlier this month.
Moreover, the previous week, a swan and her three babies were killed near Eisey Footbridge in Wiltshire. The defenseless animals were crushed by teenagers armed with catapults. The awful news was posted on Facebook by The Only Way is Cricklade. In the post from June 13, the community page states:
“We have had some awful reports of teenagers with catapaults attacking swans just past the footbridge at Eisey. One witness advised us that they killed 3 cygnets and a mother swan last night 😢“
We have had some awful reports of teenagers with catapaults attacking swans just past the footbridge at Eisey. One…
Posted by The Only Way Is Cricklade on Saturday, June 13, 2020