07:00, 18 APR 2016
BY MARTIN SHAW
Swans mate for life but can be
brutal in territory wars
A swan who lost her mate has been
brutally attacked on a Mirfield lake – by
another pair of swans.
The female swan, who had lived at
Ladywood Lakes, off Steanard Lane, for several years, was left bleeding and
exhausted.
She was rescued by a fisherman
who called in experts from Yorkshire Swan Rescue Hospital at Barlow near Selby.
The swan was captured and taken
to the sanctuary on Friday. She will remain there for several days but is
expected to make a full recovery.
Sanctuary founder Dan Sidley said
swans mate for life and, tragically, the swan’s mate was killed in flight a few
months ago when he collided with overhead power cables.
Since then she had been alone and
vulnerable.
“Swans are quite a ferocious
breed and very territorial,” said Dan. “They can be brutal at times.
“Swans mate for life but if one
of them dies they do find other partners. We had high hopes this swan would
move on after her partner died but that’s not happened.
“Another pair of swans have come onto the lake
and there has been a battle for the water and she’s come off worst.
“We’ve taken her in and she’s in
a pen on her own while we monitor her. She’s exhausted and seems to be in a
state of shock.
“It looks like she was chased
around the lake until she could escape no more. Swans are quite hardy birds so
she should recover.”
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