This is the heartwarming moment a male swan has been spotted taking care of his babies, after their mom has gone. Although the swan couples are known for choosing their partners for life, it is still very unusual for a male to look after the babies in the absence of their mother. Yet, this caring father’s instincts kicked in and thanks to it, his little babies are all safe!
The mother swan, which hatched on the Charles River Esplanade, in Boston, Massachusetts, was found dead in the nest, shortly after hatching. The cause are still unknown. But surprisingly, when the Boston Animal Control came to check on the cygnets, “father swan sat at the nest with their cygnets tucked under his wings.”
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The devoted father, apparently took all the responsibilities of a mother as he even carried the babies on his back while swimming on the lake. The beautiful moment was captured on camera by photographer Matthew Raifman, and it is definitely a sight to behold.
Were saddened to report that the mother swan of the adorable Esplanade swan family passed away last night in her nest. We want to thank @animalboston for safely removing her from the swan’s nest while the father swan sat at the nest with their cygnets tucked under his wings. pic.twitter.com/CnuYZOKWcK
— Charles River Esplanade (@EsplanadeBoston) June 1, 2021
“I noticed something was kind of unusual,” Raifman told WBZ-TV. “All the baby cygnets were on top of the papa swan.” He later shared on of his snaps on Instagram, where he described the moment as “one of the most heartbreaking stories in a while!”
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Thankfully, so far the father’s efforts seem to pay off as the little cygnets are doing great. “They seem to be doing well,” Emma Feeney, marketing and events coordinator for the Esplanade Association told THE DODO. “You can tell that he’s just a great, great father to them. It’s very adorable. They’ve been through so much, but they seem so strong.”
h.t: Instagram | foxdetroit
