Swan Love

Cute story in the news...

Black swan falls for pedal boatAAP

A LOVESICK Australian swan and his plastic
paramour have become an unlikely tourist
attraction in Germany. The black swan was
already a curiosity when he arrived at Aesee
Lake in the north-west German city of Munster
a few months ago, as European swans are white.
He has caught the imagination further by falling
in love with a plastic pedal boat shaped like a swan.



The Australian bird has spawned a cottage industry,
with T-shirts, snow domes and keyrings sporting its image.
Biologists say the black swan is showing all the typical signs
of love for his species - circling his plastic lover, staring
longingly at it and making crooning noises. So much so that
tourists are afraid to use the swan-shaped boat for fear
of upsetting the visitor. A yacht school owner, Peter
Overschmidt, complained: "When I sail too close to the pedal
boat, the black bird puffs up its feathers and hoots at me.
"This behaviour proves that the swan has built an attachment
with the pedal boat," said biologist Dirk Wewers from the
local Allwetter Zoo.



Sadly, biologists are worried that because swans

are monogamous, this one will waste his life pining

away for his plastic lover. Expert Andrea Klein is worried

what will happen when the boat is locked away for

the winter, but is relatively confident the swan will recover.
"Though it is losing its life partner we think its chances

for survival are good, as living on that lake it

has (made it) become semi-domesticated - otherwise

it would never have fallen in love with the white pedal-boat

swan in the first place," Ms Klein said. "As long as it gets

plenty of food and water it should be fine."



Black swans are peculiar to Australia, but some

were introduced to Europe by Dutch explorers in the

18th century. Sightings of the birds in the wild

in Germany are rare.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20482694-29677,00.html