Watch: Joy as rescued Newport cygnets released back into the wild after tragic loss of parents
A group of young swans that were rescued as eggs after their parents were found dead in Newport have been released back into the wild.
The five young mute swans have been hatched and hand-reared by Cuan Wildlife Rescue, based in Much Wenlock, after a pair of adult swans were found dead in May near their nest along the canal towpath in Newport.
Initial reports from West Mercia Police suggested that the pair may have been shot with an air rifle. However, post-mortem examinations later revealed they had likely been killed by another animal.
The 11 eggs, which were being incubated by the swans at the time of their deaths, were retrieved by Cuan Wildlife Rescue with the proper legal authorisation, as it is illegal to disturb swan nests or remove their eggs without a licence.
Faced with the challenge of caring for such a large clutch, the charity launched a fundraising appeal to purchase a bigger incubator. The appeal aimed to raise £300, but quickly exceeded expectations, with more than £2,000 raised in just a few hours.
This allowed Cuan Wildlife Rescue to purchase a large Brinsea incubator, giving the eggs the best possible chance of survival.
Within weeks, six of the 11 eggs hatched. Sadly, one of the cygnets died shortly after, but the remaining five grew strong and healthy under the care of the rescue team.
By August, the cygnets had been moved to one of Cuan’s large waterfowl pools to prepare them for life in the wild. Now, after several months of care, the charity has confirmed that they have been released into a private, monitored pool.
An update by Cuan Wildlife Rescue said: "After a few months in our care we are pleased to say they have now been successfully released back to the wild to a private pool where they will continue to be monitored, but have complete freedom to leave if they want to or when they are ready to find a partner and their own territories!
"Thank you all for your support and kind words regarding these cygnets, for helping us raise the funds at the start for us to get the incubator, and for Brinsea for allowing us to drive down and get the incubator at such short notice.
"All of you helped to make this happen and for us to bring a positive story from a sad situation."
