Get ready for a roller coaster of emotions in this heartwarming swan love story
With everything that’s going on in the news, we thought you might enjoy something that has nothing to do with mass protests, Covid-19 or Brexit negotiations, and this swan love story fitted the bill.
It’s fairly long, but there isn’t a single wasted moment.
Hampstead Heath’s official Twitter account set the idyllic scene.
THREAD!
We'd like to tell you all a story of love, loss and big blue Ikea bags, by popular demand! It's the story of a swan, and takes place on London's famous Hampstead Heath (that's us). Back in 2016, two swans lived happily in the Heath's ponds (on the Highgate side)… pic.twitter.com/ia0TS0H5Vj
— Hampstead Heath (@CityCorpHeath) June 1, 2020
It soon took a sad turn.
Swans generally mate for life – like humans, they will sometimes get "divorced", and if one dies they will often find another partner. One day, the pair were flying together when the male swan hit a building and sadly died. His widow was left alone on the Highgate ponds.
— Hampstead Heath (@CityCorpHeath) June 1, 2020
For four years, the widowed swan spent her days alone, flying between the Highgate ponds as if looking for her lost mate. Just after he died she made a nest and laid unfertilised eggs. She never left to find anyone new, and any suitors who tried their luck were swiftly rejected.
— Hampstead Heath (@CityCorpHeath) June 1, 2020
When a new pair of swans arrived, it looked like it might add insult to injury for the lonely widow.
Earlier this year, another pair of swans appeared on the Highgate ponds. Swans are territorial so we all wondered how she would react. Then she disappeared and nobody could find her! Was this the tragic consequence of a swan turf war? Had she fled, or been killed by the new pair?
— Hampstead Heath (@CityCorpHeath) June 1, 2020
There was a development.
A few days later, just before the UK went into lockdown, our Heath rangers received a phone call from a woman living nearby who had an unusual problem: there was a swan stuck on her roof. Could it be our widowed swan? All in a day's work for our rangers, so up they climbed… pic.twitter.com/Vojo7ex6lH
— Hampstead Heath (@CityCorpHeath) June 1, 2020
The swan on the roof was quickly identified as our missing widow. She was collected by the amazing volunteers from The Swan Sanctuary, which really deserves its own thread: its founder, Dot Beeson, started it in her backyard, sold her own home to expand it and was awarded an MBE!
— Hampstead Heath (@CityCorpHeath) June 1, 2020
She had company at the sanctuary.
The rescued swan spent the weekend at the Swan Sanctuary. Since January, the Sanctuary had been home to a male swan, who'd been rescued after a territorial fight at Waltham Abbey and needed surgery to remove two fishing hooks found in his throat. Our widow was placed in his pen.
— Hampstead Heath (@CityCorpHeath) June 1, 2020
When it was time to leave, her new friend had other ideas.
Soon she seemed fine to head home, so they went to retrieve her. The large male swan stood in the way. They let the two settle and tried again, and again he stood in the way. When they finally got her into the car, she cried for the male swan. Could it be love at first sight?
— Hampstead Heath (@CityCorpHeath) June 1, 2020
It’s a myth that a swan can break a man’s arm with its wing, but it could definitely do some damage with its beak. There was a safer option …
The Sanctuary volunteers had to make a quick decision. They decided Wallace, her apparent new love, should come back to the Heath with her! Aww!
Side note here: Ikea bags make great swan carriers, and their long necks sticking out like an awkward impulse buy is always funny. pic.twitter.com/zZruqlShm9
— Hampstead Heath (@CityCorpHeath) June 1, 2020
