It was nearly this bird’s swan song.
In a daring rescue, Rye emergency responders came to the aid of a “distressed” swan that was stuck on a pond that had frozen over during the recent cold snap.
The Rye police and fire departments worked together to free the frantic bird, whose rear became caught in the icy pond on Kirby Lane. When crews arrived on the scene, the swan was unable to free itself from the ice.
The bird was a mute swan, which despite its name is not silent, but rather less vocal than other swans.
“It seemed very distressed,” said Police Sgt. Christopher Salguero, adding that the bird also seemed exhausted.
Responders were alerted to the situation by a call from a concerned resident in the area, Salguero said. Aerial footage by the department’s drone captured the roughly 10-minute saga.
A police officer in a yellow winter suit walked onto the icy pond with a rescue sled. As the officer reached the swan, the bird made a last desperate attempt to free itself, flapping its wings before the officer scooped it up and carried it to safety, handing off the bird to another waiting officer.
The swan was taken to Animal Nation, a nonprofit wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility in Norwalk, Conn., that serves Westchester, Rockland, Fairfield, and surrounding counties.
Patrick Moore, president of Animal Nation, described the swan as “skin and bones and horribly emaciated and weak” upon arrival. But Moore said the bird is now eating and doing well, getting stronger by the day.
The bird is a juvenile. “It takes mute swans two years to become fully mature,” Moore said. “This is a baby from last year.”
The young swan is now recovering alongside a fellow juvenile mute swan rescued in similar condition from Somers, N.Y.
“They made fast friends,” Moore said. “Once they become stronger and gain weight, they will move into a larger outdoor enclosure.”
When the swan can be released will depend on its recovery and the weather.
“We can’t release them until the water is back open,” he said. Every animal the organization rehabilitates is returned to the exact location where it was found.
The rescue comes as Animal Nation is being overwhelmed by a surge of struggling waterfowl because of snow and frozen waterways. Moore said the facility is taking in two or three swans a day, as well as Canada geese, mallards, ruddy ducks, and other birds. The facility currently has about 30 swans in its care.
“We just got another one about 15 minutes ago,” Moore said on Tuesday.
Moore said mute swans struggle here for a simple reason.
“Swans are an invasive species, so they do not do well here in the winter,” he said. “They’re native to Europe, so this is a very common issue.”
