Here is a feel good wildlife story from that thriving wilderness of…New York City?
Well, actually there is some wilderness here in New York City out at Jamaica Bay (A swampy tidal estuary in the shadow of JFK airport). That is where Ariel Cordova-Rojas was riding her bike when she saw a female mute swan (Cygnus olor) which was hunched up and unable to move properly. Cordova-Rojas grabbed the injured swan (that is when she really knew it was hurting, since grabbing an uninjured swan is effectively the same as grabbing a wyvern, an angry forklift, or a live electrical wire) and called some friends to deal with her bike. Then she began a two hour odyssey with the irascible 10 kilogram (20 pound) waterfowl.
After hiking for miles and riding for ages on the corona-addled (but open-minded!) subway, the good Samaritan finally brought the beautiful dinosaur descendant to Nostrand Avenue (right by where I live). There she got a car to the Wild Bird Fund, where bird-rescue specialists diagnosed the bird as suffering from lead poisoning (swans sometimes dabble up lead pieces when they are feeding).
After emergency treatment, the lovely (albeit invasive) bird is recuperating in style at New York City’s premier wildlife rehabilitation center (where she has apparently met a convalescing cob (a male swan). If only Tchaikovsky had known the good-hearted (and strong & fearless) Cordova-Rojas then Swan Lake might have ended up being a feel-good blockbuster with a happily ever after ending!
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November 13, 2020 at 10:47 AM
hooftales
“Like” is not a strong enough word for how I feel about this post! 🙂
November 13, 2020 at 10:50 AM
hooftales
My sister once had a similar adventure with a loon that had crash landed along an interstate highway. It did not seem to be hurt, but was unable to take off again without water, so long story short, she took it to the Susquehanna River and released it, and it swam/ dived away, chortling its thanks and happiness. ❤
December 1, 2020 at 11:05 AM
Wayne
That is such a delightful story! I wish we could round these tales out with details–but the important parts (like the Loon’s red eyes or the swan’s serrated beak) are hard to capture in prose. It is wonderful that there are people who are willing to help out injured (or otherwise addled wild creatures). Loons are particularly amazing (I like all such piscivorous diving birds actually). I need to find a way to write about them this winter! Thanks again for the story (and thanks to your sister for saving our chuckling feathered friends).