A single swan, swimming plaintively next to an empty nest, which, the week before had contained eggs and a mate.
This, I realised, was the scene of the attack, reported in this paper, that had led to the death of a female swan and the destruction of her eggs.
Swans, I believe, mate for life. Seeing the empty nest and the solitary male still waiting nearby brought home the mindless cruelty of this crime. I hope the �1,000 reward offered by the Echo leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.
Last year a man was jailed for killing a swan in Exeter. So these offences are taken seriously and punished accordingly.
But the wider question is what more can be done to protect nesting swans who increasingly make their homes in exposed and very public places.
The swan population has grown dramatically in recent years, thanks to the cleaning up of our rivers and lakes and the banning of the use of lead fishing weights. The search for new territory and nesting sites and feeding by the public has brought these beautiful birds closer and closer to human activity.
This is not the first year that swans have nested in this exposed spot, nor just across the Exe on the grassy canal bank right next to the busy cycle and footpath.
Short of mounting a 24 hour guard, these magnificent birds cannot be guaranteed 100% protection.
As with most crimes against animals, public vigilance is the best deterrence, along with stiff penalties on conviction. Let�s hope someone who witnessed this attack now feels as sickened by it as the rest of us and turns the culprits in.
