Wednesday 18 April 2012

"How dangerous are swans?"

Spotted by Graeme at the BBC:

A man has drowned after being attacked by a swan, which knocked him out of his kayak and stopped him swimming to shore. So how dangerous are these graceful white birds?

Anthony Hensley, 37, worked for a company that provided swans to keep geese away from property. On Saturday morning, the married father of two set out in a kayak across a pond at a residential complex in Des Plaines, just outside Chicago, where he was tending the birds.

One of the swans charged his boat, capsizing it, says Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, whose deputies investigated the death. Mr Hensley tried to swim to shore but eyewitnesses told the sheriff's investigators the swan appeared to have actively blocked him...


I never really liked swans, too big, too aggressive. When you throw bread to ducks, they all swim up and grab a few, but if there's a swan around, they'll scare off the little duckies and try and grab all the bread for themsleves.

8 comments:

Bill Quango MP said...

I have been attacked by a swan. Bugger flew low down the length of the river like he was a Dambuster.
He kept on strafing the boat.

When you're cowering in the leaking bottom of a rowing boat, those things look the size of Pterodactyls.

Anonymous said...

They clearly need reminding who's top of the food chain.

Mind, I s'pose that'd be Her Maj in the case of swans so let's settle for which species is top of the food chain.

BQ, could you see the circles of light coincident on the water under the beast? Perhaps they're adjustable for canoes or rowing boats :-)

Sarton Bander said...

Oar + Swan = Roast dinner (dont tell the queen).

Bill Quango MP said...

The flying monster's feet and wingtips were hitting the water sending up splashes of foam.

As the sound of the wings flapping fast and striking the river did sound like gunfire.

For a good few moments I was sure this swan was armed with 8 browning .303s and was going to sink me.

Mark Wadsworth said...

BQ, sounds nasty, glad you survived.

Graeme said...

could swans be the new cows?

Mark Wadsworth said...

G, they're trying to catch up with horses. It'll be a while before cattle are knocked off their perch.

James Higham said...

Think Bill wins the prize here.