Seven baby swans, also known as cygnets, are getting a lot of attention at a West Vancouver park pond.
The fluffy young cygnets hatched about seven to 10 days ago, says Donna Powers from the District of West Vancouver, and are already attracting a lot of attention.
“It’s news when the cygnets are out, and people like to go down there and talk about it,” said Powers in an interview with CTV News Vancouver Thursday.
Swans are an invasive species however, and are often highly territorial and aggressive.
For that reason, only one pair of swans can fit in Ambleside Pond, which forces the district to either shake the eggs so they won't hatch, or by restraining the wings of the cygnets after a half-dozen weeks and transferring the growing chicks to a private bird sanctuary.
“The bird sanctuary is not a public facility as far as we know,” wrote Andrew Banks, the District’s Senior Parks Manager in an email.
“We do know they pinion the cygnets and keep them as pets at the sanctuary, or find homes with swan enthusiasts with aviculture permits,” he said.
Powers said West Vancouver residents have come to understand the life-cycle at Ambleside Pond as the best option for parkgoers.
“We’ve chosen to let them breed, and I think that is what our residents would like to see,” she said.
Banks told CTV News the adult swans are “long-time residents of the pond” and are likely over 10-years-old now.
As far as plans to expand the pond to fit more swan families, Powers said the district is looking at new plans for the park, but that any decisions made would not factor in the swans.
The cygnets will be transplanted to the sanctuary after about six to eight weeks.
