Swans have a seemingly placid demeanor, and their monogamous mating habits have long made them a symbol of lasting love. But the creatures — generally snowy white, with long graceful necks and a black “mask” around their eyes — are territorial and can be quite aggressive when threatened. This aggression makes them good at driving off geese; it can also lead to tragedy.
Anthony Hensley was a 37-year-old married father of two who worked for a company that uses dogs and swans to shoo pesky geese from properties in the area. Hensley had taken to a kayak Sunday morning to check on the swans in a Des Plaines-area pond when one of the larger birds turned on him, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Cook County sheriff’s investigators believe Hensley either got too close to the swan or the swan’s nesting area, the Sun-Times said. Hensley rolled off his kayak and landed in the water, and the swan kept up its relentless attack.
The Sun-Times reports that the swan continued to pursue Hensley as he tried to swim to shore. Hensley was submerged when emergency workers arrived, and an autopsy found that he died from drowning near the Bay Colony condominiums in unincorporated Des Plaines.
Wow! Swans are fucking HUGE! I can imagine that if you’re in the water trying to keep your head up, unless you can plant your feet on the bottom, that swan can probably provide enough grunt to keep that head down until the fight stops.
Odd animal attack, but animals can be deadly even in what we consider Urban areas. Be they Coyotes or Bears, or Pit Bulls and Swans. I can imagine that if a gun was on the caretaker’s belt, maybe he could have stopped this before he died. Maybe not.
Either way, this isn’t a “Gun Death” so it doesn’t count.
h/t Whipped Cream Difficulties and Bob
You *MUST* include this link on a post like this —
http://www.cracked.com/article_15853_the-6-cutest-animals-that-can-still-destroy-you.html
It’s a rule!!!
We had “Watch Geese” on the little farm that I grew up on. They nested in the carport attached to the house. They would suffer family members getting only so close. Strangers were not allowed. Then one day, the Gander lost his damn mind and bit my dad on the calf and left a softball size knot. We had goose for Thanksgiving that year.
Secondly. Years ago I was walking through a park with my mother and my then 4 year old daughter (she turns 22 this year… ack!). The daughter got a little too close to one of the swans and it attacked her. Luckily, my mother, who is normally the nicest, calmest, little old lady that you ever met, was right there to save her from a Swan Mauling. Yes, I can attest to the fact that the best way to deal with a swan in full battle mode is to grab the damn thing by the neck and swing swing swing toss. For those of you who think that’s cruel, go fuck with a swan asshole.
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Some idiot here stole 8 eggs from a swan nest in a local park. None of the hatchlings survived the experience. I’m still trying to figure out how the guy survived the experience, the male swan appears to have attacked so vigerously he injured his beak.
ISTR that both the Romans and NORAD used geese for security.
“Yes, I can attest to the fact that the best way to deal with a swan in full battle mode is to grab the damn thing by the neck and swing swing swing toss. For those of you who think that’s cruel, go fuck with a swan asshole.”
Quoted for truth. This is just another example of people being ‘trained’ by society to not ‘hurt’ the cute defenseless little (wildlife). Look.. if some form of non predatory wild life is relentlessly attacking you, do not stay on the defensive…grab that little bastard by the neck and give a good twisting or ‘snap-the-twig’ motion. This guy drown because he refused to fight back. Yes, swans are bigger than most folks think and they do float… but they DON’T breathe water… grab his neck and hold that bastard’s head under till he either backs off or stops struggling. As a human you are heavy enough to do it.