The small town of Manlius, north of New York (United States), is in shock: an emblematic swan of the city was stolen and then killed to be eaten. The incident happened during the last long weekend of “Memorial”, which celebrates veterans in the United States, police said. Three teenagers, aged 16, 17 and 18, were arrested in the process for vandalism and theft.
The swan is a female named Faye and she is known in this region of Syracuse. The young suspects are accused of having stolen the animal and its four young, swans, in order to make them pets, according to the account given to the local press on Tuesday by police sergeant Kenneth Hatter.
Babies safe and sound
The cygneaux were quickly found safe and sound but their mother was much less lucky. “Family and friends ate the swan which they took for a very large duck,” police officer Hatter lamented. The latter admitted that the three young people “did not know that (this bird) was not a wild animal and that it belonged to the village of Manlius”.
Swans have been a symbol of this commune of 4,600 souls since they took up residence, at the beginning of the 20th century, on the small ponds of the commune. “It’s sad,” said Mayor Paul Whorrall, quoted by local media. “It’s as if we had lost a member of the family.”