Ann MacGillivray tells how two council workers came to her aid to avoid a possible accident, as she tried to rescue a distressed swan on Cobden Bridge.
Ann with the swan on Cobden Bridge
I was driving across Cobden Bridge towards Bitterne Park Triangle on September 5 just after 9 am, when I noticed a swan walking on the pavement trying to get through the railings and back to the River Itchen.
Traffic was quite heavy and I was concerned that there was going to be an accident if it was left to his own devices. It could certainly not take off from where it was.
So I got out of my car and tried to drive the swan back towards the path at Riverside Park so that he could get back to the water. Trouble was, every time we got to the concrete pillars of the bridge, the swan could not see the water and panicked and then doubled back to the middle of the bridge.
I noticed that a yellow city council highway lorry had pulled up behind my car and the two men in it were taking photos of the swan's antics on a mobile phone. When asked, they were quite happy to get out and assist me to get the swan off the highway.
So the three of us herded the swan towards the path, with a bit more success this time. I let the swan have a go at my handbag when it got aggressive through fear and one of the council workmen used his yellow jacket to block the swan’s retreat towards the centre of the bridge. Fortunately, people in cars were patient.
Then the swan made a dash for the middle of the road to get past us. A motorist shouted: "Grab its neck!" which I duly did, and as the swan started to flap its wings, I put an arm round it and picked it up.
I am used to handling animals but I have never held a swan before. It’s
an amazing experience. We took it down to the park and let it go, as I
did not wish to distress it further. It did not wish to go into the
river as the cob and pen that have recently reared five cygnets were
patrolling the river near the bridge. This is probably why the swan
that we rescued was on the bridge - having made its escape. The swan started to head up the bank towards the road again, but luckily one of the council men managed to head it off and the two of them escorted the swan further along the bank until it safely entered the water further upstream.
Without the help of these two council workers I would not have succeeded in getting the swan back to the river and I really think that they did a good job. I hope that their boss forgave them the time that it took to complete this rescue! Well done for coming to the rescue, and averting a situation that could have led to an accident.
Ann MacGillivray
Link: Ann's Homepage on bitternepark.info