Thread by @Soapy_Wit_Tank

there has been swan xmas drama, and this is going to be a long thread. before all the drama happened mum and toyboy and their three cygnets shared (just) a very long stretch of canal with mum's older son by another swan and son's girlfriend,who happens to be toyboy's young sister

further along the canal, there are young lovers with just one of their three cygnets (the other two have been rescued injured and released elsewhere as the risk of rejection is too great). they consider all of the canal between the river and the stretch the others are on...

as their territory, and also consider the river that runs along all of that canal as their's too. the young lovers stole this territory from mum and toyboy. on xmas eve mum and her three cygnets were on the right bit of the canal, but toyboy had gone down two locks, trespassing

luckily the young lovers were on the river, so it was hoped they wouldn't have another pitched battle over the territory. later on xmas eve, mum had gone looking for toyboy and has gone onto the stretch of canal that is definitely the young lovers' the male in the young lovers

has gone full psycho swan and chased mum into the lock above the basin. luckily a swan watcher was around and intervened and let mum into the basin away from immediate danger. a few hours later toyboy turned up in the basin too, so they'd both left the three cygnets alone

there were high winds and not enough light for mum and toyboy to fly out of the basin on xmas eve, but it was hoped they'd sort themselves out on xmas day. on xmas day morning a swan watcher checked the basin and there were no swans visible, so it everything seemed ok

however, when the young lovers were checked the psycho male was missing, but it was hoped he was just doing a full territory check and he'd turn up later. xmas day eve, there was a report of a swan that had crash landed on the road on leeds bridge. the rescue went out and...

it was toyboy, so he hadn't flown home. the rescue checked him over and then returned him to the marina in his territory, but there was no sign of mum and no sign of the three cygnets. at that point there were now 5 swans missing. another swan watcher did a patrol today...

taking four hours to walk from the city centre right out to kirkstall. a partial success as he found the three cygnets alone and on the wrong bit of canal and confirmed that toyboy was still on the right bit of canal, still. then another swan watcher did a more thorough check of

the basin and discovered that both mum and young dad were trapped together at the bottom of the very deep lock that connects the canal/basin to the river. they were at separate ends of the lock, both calling out in distress. two swan watchers enlisted the help of a very kind

boater, to fill the lock so they could get out. however, the lock is padlocked with a different key (coz the boaters keep letting all the water out of the basin thru it) and it wasn't possible to fill the lock. poor old swan rescue were called out again, and their rescuer

managed to hook out mum and young dad out with a very long swan hook. both were wrapped immobile and then carried firstly to the river next to the first bit of the canal, where young mum and the cygnet were, as they were searching and calling dor young dad. young sad was checked

^dad

for injuries, found to be fit and released onto the river so he went back to his family. the swan watchers and swan rescuer then walked with mum (wrapped up) the 20 minute walk along the canal towpath towards the marina and toyboy. they passed the three cygnets on the way.

mum was checked for injuries and she only had a small superficial wound to her left paddle, so she was released onto the right bit of canal with toyboy waiting for her. the swan watchers and rescuer then retraced their steps to the three cygnets on the wrong bit of canal and

then hooked the three cygnets out from the wrong bit of canal (they would be in great danger if young dad knew they were there) and then walked back and released the cygnets at the beginning of the long stretch of canal. the cygnets were left to their own devices to go find mum

and toyboy, now they were all on the same (and right) stretch of canal. the poor rescue have had to rescue six swans of xmas and boxing day. they're on twitter @Swan_Rescue, so give them a follow and maybe buy them something from their amazon wishlist 🦢🦢🦢🦢🦢🦢

@Swan_Rescue

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