Newport’s famous swans are recuperating after being rescued by a wildlife charity.
The mother and father took a wrong turn while on their annual pilgrimage from Church Aston to Newport Canal with their seven cygnets.
They ended up spending the weekend being cared for by a couple at their Greenacres Way home before being taken away by Cuan House Wildlife Rescue.
The family are now enjoying
some down time at the charity’s headquarters in Much Wenlock before they are released on Newport Canal next week.
Ken Price found the swans in his back garden last Saturday morning.
He said: “They must have gone down the wrong stream, ended up in the field behind our house and then the only place to go was our garden.
“We were concerned about the mother. She was taking one step then stopping.
“She was obviously fatigued after the long nesting and then walking all that way.”
The Price family cared for the swans by feeding them bread and filling up the paddling pool for them to drink out of.
Cuan House Wildlife Rescue arrived early Sunday afternoon to take them away.
Charity spokesman Megan Morris-Jones said they were recovering well.
She said: “The female was a bit lame and both adults had very sore feet.
“But they are all doing great, including all seven cygnets.
“We’ll keep them a bit long to re-coup and gain some weight before releasing them onto Newport Canal at the beginning of next week.
“They couldn’t have stumbled into a better garden.
“They did a great job looking after them.”
The charity confirmed that the male swan – the cob – is at least 12-years-old, originally from Chester, but has lived in Newport since 2003.
The female – the pen – is yet to be identified.
By Sean Wozencroft