Stratford-Upon-Avon by the Avon River is the hometown of the famous British writer William Shakespeare, attracting a large number of tourists every year. Recently, a black swan arrived in the area and was initially welcomed by the people. However, it later showed aggressive behavior, even attempting to drown the local white swans, leading to its eventual expulsion from the town.
According to a report by The Independent on October 2nd, Cyril Bennis, a swan management volunteer in Stratford-Upon-Avon for 45 years, mentioned that the black swan known locally as “Reggie” or “Mr. Terminator” arrived in the town nine months ago.
For the local mute swans, the appearance of the “Mr. Terminator,” a black swan originally from Australia, stood out. The residents found the presence of this black swan very intriguing. While it is not a native species in British rivers, it was regarded as “so noble in many ways.”
Bennis shared that with the news of this black swan spreading, many people fell in love with it and made a special trip to see it in the town. “Undoubtedly, it is more popular than Shakespeare himself.”
However, the black swan made some people nervous to a certain extent as they did not want it to settle in the area or become too friendly with the local mute swans. The town is home to approximately 60 mute swans.
After a few months of the arrival of “Mr. Terminator,” Bennis mentioned that it started showing its dark side. It tried to drive away a male swan and cygnets and then started to occupy the territory with another female swan. It even attempted to attack and drown other swans.
The town eventually decided to expel “Mr. Terminator.” Bennis managed to catch it on September 30th and calm it down. It is now placed in a local park and will be sent to the Dawlish Waterfowl Centre in Devon to live with other black swans.
Bennis remarked, “Today the river is calm, the swans are resting leisurely. Just like a Shakespearean play, everything has calmed down, and everything is gradually settling.”
He added, “I believe Her Majesty the Queen will be very pleased because we have finally removed a rogue black swan from the sight of the mute swans.”
However, according to a report by CBC, the decision to relocate “Mr. Terminator” did not sit well with many of its fans. Bennis also gained fame for capturing it. He is frequently asked, “Why? Why? Why, sir, why did you do this?”
In ancient legend, it is said that the British monarch owns all the mute swans in the public waters of Britain. Every summer, the government checks the number and health of mute swans in the Thames. This royal tradition in Britain has been passed down for several hundred years, tracing back to the 12th century.