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TWO BROKEN SWAN’S WINGS BROKE OUR HEARTS
Sorry for the bad grammar punctuation and poor spelling. It has been a hard day for my wife to endure and my tears are flowing down my cheeks as I compose my letter to the editor.
For 40 very long days our female swan, "Sugar", age four, had dedicated herself to taking care of her cluster of eggs. Rain, thunder storms or sweltering heat she rarely left the nest that she and her life-long-mate, "Spice", age 6,had built together. She took only a few minutes to drink a little water from the pond and catch a quick bite before returning to guard the nest.
On Sunday morning my wife Ella ,before eating breakfast, made her way as usual down to the pond to feed the swans. To her dismay Sugar’s two wings were dragging on the ground. The egg that she had protected with her life had vanished into thin air without a whisper.
Instead of being able to watch the baby signets perched on their mother’s back we were left with Sugar now crippled and unable to fend for herself. Not able to bath or feed from the bottom of the pond; it was a sad sight to behold. Sugar looked so forlorn and helpless with her once beautiful full wings set asunder.
There was no blood or feathers to see around the nest that would indicate that a raccoon had done the dirty deed. The only culprit that could have maimed our swan was a man. I suspect that he is a coward who invaded our property in the dark to beat our swans and then to steal some eggs worth maybe a few dollars if they are fertile.
Now Ella and I are left with the troubling thought that we may have to resort to euthanasia our beloved swan. It may be the only option open to us for Sugar.
Swans mate for life, up to 35 years, and often the spouse, can not survive the death of their mate.
Brian, Kate and Zack from Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Center in Mount Brydges www.salthaven.org
[http://www.salthaven.org/public/uploaded_files/images/image_19.jpg]
Salthaven Wildlife & Education Centre
www.salthaven.org
Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Centre is committed to the care and rehabilitation of sick, injured, orphaned or otherwise compromised wildlife.
Brian carefully placed Sugar into a carrying case while Spice cried at her departure. The X-rays results from the veterinarian were not positive: two fractures on both wings. As a result Sugar was euthanized.
We named our farm, Shalom Acres in the vain hope that we and our swans would be able to live in peace and tranquillity. We should not have to fear anonymous strangers who would take it all away in an instant with absolutely no conscience or fear of retribution for what they have done.
Hard to be God fearing people when faced with man’s inhumanity to man.
Len Lesser is an education/career counsellor
Len Lesser