One-winged swan finds unlikely family in Limerick

The male swan was injured by a jet ski near O’Brien’s Bridge, things were not looking good for him

Three swans in Limerick formed their own little family and were inseparable. Picture: Animal Magic Wildlife Rescue

Everyone has heard the story of the ugly duckling. But have you heard the tale, of the one-winged swan, and his unlikely Limerick family?

When Rosie Campbell and her team at Animal Magic Wildlife Rescue rescued the first of the trio, a male swan, who was injured by a jet ski near O’Brien’s Bridge, things were not looking good for him.

“When we have amputee swans, a lot of people don’t believe we should keep them alive, and they should be put down. But we always have had the idea is that if they can have a good quality of life, and they can get supported for a little while. They can flourish,” said Rosie, who runs the sanctuary in Limerick.

And that’s exactly what this swan did.

The centre chose not to name any of the swans, as it makes them easier on them to release into the wild after.

Swans are very territorial creatures, and Rosie and the crew were unsure whether the two adults would get along, or clash. However, thankfully, there was a happy ending.

When we introduced them, the first thing that the two adults did they walked up to each other and you know they do the heart shape, with their heads, well they did that straight away.

“And the little one actually just waddled over to them and joined in straight away, and they hit it off imminently,” Rosie added.

The three formed their own little family and were inseparable from the get go, so it was an easy decision to release them together.

Luckily for the swans, Rosie and the team managed to find a safe place for them to be released.

A wealthy individual, in the Limerick area, offered to take them in his private and well-preserved pond in their large grounds, where the swans will be fed daily by the grounds caretaker.

This means the one-winged male will not have to move from pond to pond in search of food and will be granted a safe and happy life with his new family.

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Rosie and Animal Magic are not a registered charity and usually support the sanctuary by lecturing at schools and putting on displays.

However, the pandemic has hit them hard, and both Rosie and her husband have had to cash their pensions in a bid to keep the sanctuary, which homes everything from owls to racoons, open.

Those who would like to support the team can do so via PayPal, and their address is [e-mail]