A mystery is developing in Stratford, Ontario, and is not in the famous theater stage of the city.
The city of Stratford is asking people to keep their eyes wide open for another iconic feature in the city: a group of white swans who have been missing in their usual home on the Avon River for more than a week.
“We weren’t too worried [at first] Because they have gone down a little by the river before, but then we had not seen them for a week, “said Quin Malott, the city’s parks, forestry manager and cemeteries.
Malott said he noticed for the first time three of the six swans he usually sees when he feeds them every morning at Lake Victoria disappeared on Thursday. He didn’t think about that, he said, until the other three left the next day.
“We have been feeding them in this area every day for months and they had always come, but then they didn’t,” he said. “It’s a surprise, so we went to look for them,” Malott said.
He and his team reviewed the river and in the nearby golf course, but the missing swans were not in their usual places. It was then that they decided to put a publication on the missing birds on the Facebook page of the city, asking the residents to watch.
Malott said dozens of people called to inform that they had seen one of the birds in a stormwater retention pond at the north end of the city. The Malott crew visited the Swan Thursday to start feeding it, before they prepared to catch it at the end of this week.
“We like to feed them and put them comfortable with people, and then we caught them.”
The residents saw another three swan uphill, said Malott, but he and his team had not yet found them.
Swans a Stratford ‘Mascot’
The city has 18 swans that generally live in the Avon River. Birds are one of Stratford’s most emblematic symbols, with some business owners who say they are an attraction for tourists and a home signal for the premises.
“They feel like the pets in the city. They are like the pet,” said Kelan Herr, co -owner of the Boots House, located next to the river.
“People in the boats always want to see the swans, and when we go through them we will reduce the speed. It is a great opportunity for people to take photos and also so that we can give some information about them,” he said. “That part is very strange.”
Herr said he cannot remember the last time he saw the swans, and added that although he noticed that they disappear in past years, it is unusual that they have gone so long.
The executive director of Stratford Festival, Anita Gaffney, said she had never heard of a situation like in the city before.
“[Swans are] Something that hopes to see in the river, and our visitors often walk along the river, having picnics, enjoying that scenario and watching swimmes swim, “he said.
“They have been in the community for decades and are a kind of image of the pastoral and quiet qualities of Stratford,” Goffney added.
It is not yet clear why any of the six swans left first.
The question has captivated social networks, with an Instagram account that shares edited photos of vacation swans.
Meanwhile, Malott said it is possible that an animal scared of the swans by the river, but it is difficult to know with certainty.
“We can’t speculate why they went further than they usually do,” he said.
Anyone who see a rogue swan should call or send an email to the city of Stratford.
