A Reader asked us to look into the matter. In an email to the editorial office, they wrote: “I would like [...] the editorial office to investigate the disappearance of one of the young swans. From what I noticed, there are only three small ones and two large ones swimming, but there were four.”
Indeed. One of the cygnets first disappeared because it had been poisoned by something. It was taken to a veterinarian and given a very strong antibiotic. The illness passed, and after two days—on Saturday, July 5—it could return to the pond. Except that... its father began chasing it away and did not accept it back. “Everyone was happy that the little one had recovered. No one expected the father to react that way,” says Agnieszka Gergont, spokesperson for Bolesławiec City Hall.
The cygnet is currently staying in a temporary animal holding facility. City officials intend to consult an ornithologist about what can be done in this situation. We will return to the topic.
In connection with the situation, Bolesławiec City Hall asks people not to feed the swans, as they have enough food.
Below are photos from when the family was complete:
Let us recall: in mid-April, we reported that at the pond on Bankowa Street in Bolesławiec, a female swan was sitting on her eggs. Her mate was with her. Unfortunately, the pair chose a spot almost next to the park path, which attracted considerable interest from passersby, especially children attending nearby schools. The excessive attention was not good for the female swan, so city officials asked people not to approach the temporary fence in order not to disturb the swans. The female swan eventually had four cygnets.
Swans have become a permanent part of the landscape in this part of the city. In fact, for years—with short breaks, as they are migratory birds—they have been an inseparable element of Bolesławiec’s parks. This pair arrived here two years ago, and it appears to have acclimatized to our city.
(information: Bolesławiec City Hall/ii)