Every day, Toto the swan spends time with his favorite human, Gabor Rigo, showering each other with love and affection. Their special bond began when Gabor started caring for Toto the moment he hatched from his egg, nurturing him from a fluffy little cygnet into a beautiful, strong bird.
In May 2020, a huge storm destroyed Toto’s family nest at Lake Balaton in Hungary. All the eggs were destroyed except for one. A woman found Toto’s egg floating on the water without knowing it held a precious life that was dangerously chilled.
“She wanted to take it home, pierce the top and bottom, blow out the insides, and keep the shell as an Easter memento,” Gabor, 50 years old, told The Epoch Times.
When she held the egg up to the light, she noticed movement inside. She quickly took action, bringing the egg home, placing it between two pillows to keep it warm, and then using an infrared lamp to heat it from above.
“The body temperature of a human is almost the same as the incubation temperature of birds: 36 to 36.2 degrees Celsius,” said Gabor, who works at a bird park. During the day at work, the woman would keep the egg against her chest and secure it with a bedsheet to maintain its position… to warm it with her body heat.
On the fifth day, the egg hatched, and the woman realized it was a baby swan. Unable to care for it at home, she took the cygnet to a bird park.
“It was just two days old,” Gabor said, “that’s when Toto and I started living together.”
Gabor resides in Keszthely by Lake Balaton, where he raises hundreds of birds annually. Initially unexcited about the new arrival, he added, “I knew (the swan) would be difficult to raise, and it would take a long time.” According to his experience, many swans become aggressive by the age of 3.
Despite his doubts, he continued to care for the little bird, carrying it in his pocket during work, feeding it every two hours. One Friday evening, after a long day at work, Gabor took off his sweater, and Toto slipped out. With no work the next day, they utilized the weekend to grow closer.
“That time was enough for us to become friends and steal each other’s hearts,” Gabor said. “Our bond grew stronger every day. Wherever I go, it follows me, sleeps with me at night.”
They now enjoy activities like swimming, watching TV, and going to the gym. The adult swan even rides in the car with Gabor to go shopping.
Toto enjoys mimicking human activities it sees, like taking a bath in the evening. It likes to explore Gabor’s apartment and watch him cook.
“It sneaks vegetables and fruits from the garden into the kitchen; it has its own plate and a little bowl for drinking water,” Gabor said.
When Toto needs to use the bathroom, it pulls a rope hanging on the balcony door to open it and goes outside.
“It goes out, uses the bathroom, and then comes back into the apartment,” Gabor said. “It’s very clean.”
Despite the caretaker’s best efforts, Toto refuses to pair with another swan. Raised by humans without developing proper survival instincts, Toto cannot return to the wild. Also, having grown up with dogs, it isn’t afraid of predators.
When Gabor and his sons go on vacation, Toto misses him greatly, so they stay connected through regular video calls.
“When my colleagues turn on the camera, Toto immediately calms down,” Gabor shared. “Two or three days are manageable, but after four days without his favorite human, Toto stands by the bird park gate all day waiting for him.”
Gabor documents his life with Toto and shares their daily activities on social media. While swans typically live for 30 years, Gabor vows to be responsible for Toto for a lifetime.