Big Daddy Black Swan

Being a Wildlife Victoria volunteer means being prepared for anything, especially a dollop of humility. This morning brought a bowlful.

The call came in last night. A woman named Madeleine had spotted two black swans and their five cygnets (shown above) in Basterfield Park, a small reserve in the bayside town of Hampton East. One of the cygnets was apparently injured and lagging behind its siblings. It was too dark to respond so I took a ride early this morning and found the family peacefully munching on mist-covered grass.

The moment I walked closer Big Daddy Black Swan (BDBS) made a run at me (above left) while mama kept watch over the cygnets (above right). I took a few steps back and BDBS ceased being aggressive but remained vigilant, its wing feathers puffed out like a club bouncer's shoulder blades (below left).

I spent a few minutes watching the cygnets and saw one was, in fact, pushing itself across the grass with one leg instead of walking properly. It was eating like its siblings but lagged behind the group as they meandered.

What to do? Is it wise to separate a cygnet from its family, even when injured? Is there any danger of it not being accepted by its family afterwards?

I called a specialist vet -- Burwood Bird and Animal Hospital -- for advice and was told an injured cygnet should be treated when small, as the injury could lead to permanent damage and make the young swan more vulnerable to predators as it develops.

While watching the behaviour of the injured cygnet I paused to snap a photo. Here's the unsurprising result:

BDBS took another run at me. Pissed at myself for causing the birds unnecessary stress, I returned to my car and plotted how to apprehend a lame cygnet without causing it further injury as two angry enforcers opened a can of Black Swan Whoop Ass on me. I called one of WV's most experienced rescuers, Jen Greenhalgh, for advice. She suggested covering the BDBS with a blanket and/or using a net to block its frontal attack. I lacked a net but had a blanket, and so set off to capture my fluffy prey.

That didn't go so well. BDBS shook off the blanket in seconds and all five cygnets immediately huddled beneath their mamma, which meant I wouldn't have known which of them was the injured one even if I'd gotten close enough to wrap it in a towel. I backed off again and re-assessed both the situation and my wildlife skills. Just then the family made a bee-line for a small lake that sits in the center of Basterfield Park. Had they grown weary of my attempts to kidnap their injured offspring? No. A woman was coming towards us with two unleashed dogs. The swans and cygnets waddled into the water and made for the lake's reed-covered island. The oblivious woman watched her dogs go to the water's edge and sniff at the paddling birds. I returned to my car, determined to return with proper materials and most likely a fellow volunteer (or two).

My learning continues.