Sally Noceda, who lives near Charlie's Pond, called Pelican rescue service, but it was not available Help for about a week. So, Noseda and her neighbors made it their mission to keep Charlie safe Far from the two main roads surrounding his pond, he would sometimes resort to blocking traffic so the swan could cross the street.
“All week, we've been on edge,” Noseda told The Washington Post.
Charlie was under almost constant surveillance until Saturday, when he was received by English rescue center Swan Support, as first reported by the BBC.
Wendy Hermon, rescue and treatment coordinator at Swan Support, told The Post that Charlie is receiving “five-star accommodation.”
“We cannot thank the public enough for taking care of this bird, because without them, we would not have been able to save it,” Hermon said.
Charlie and Cassandra were like that Living in the pond in Devizes Almost two and a half years with Geese and ducks. About 15 neighbors whose homes are located near the pond named the swans and fed them corn, lettuce and carrots. They are also regularly Share photos and videos of Charlie and Cassandra in a nearby Facebook group.
But on February 24, one resident witnessed a tragic scene. Cassandra was lying on the grass, bleeding. Noseda, 74, received a message from a neighbor and ran across the street.
Cassandra is dead. Neighbors saw on surveillance camera footage that the swan hit its head on the sidewalk while landing and was able to move to the grass before it died. It had rained earlier in the day, so Noseda thought Cassandra might have confused the roof surface with water.
While the vet was collecting Cassandra's body, Nosida and her neighbors Charlie walked to the pond. His legs were shaking. Swans often mate for life, so Charlie was “very shocked,” Noseda said.
The next day, Charlie, who is estimated to be between 5 and 10 years old, barely ate or slept. He was roaming the city.
Noseda shared her concerns about Charlie's safety with Swan Support, which is based around 75 miles east of Devizes in Berkshire. However, due to other rescues, the employee was unable to check on Charlie for at least three days.
That's when Noseda and her friends formed the Charlie Watch Party. They posted swan updates every few hours on their Facebook group. They led him through Pedestrian crosswalks at intersections And he returned him to his blessing.
“It's going to become a bigger problem the longer it goes on,” Noseda said.
Hormones may have played a role in fueling Charlie's heartache and wandering, because swans typically breed in March, Hermon said. At some point, before Swan's support arrived On Saturday, Charlie hiked about a mile From his blessing. Noseda said she and others panicked until Charlie was spotted on a bridge — but he was hit, and cars were swerving around him.
He was treated at a nearby wildlife hospital, where he was eventually picked up by Swan Support. Charlie still He takes antibiotics for his injuries but becomes quieter and vocalizes in excitement when Hermon greets him.
He is expected to recover within a few days and will be released back into the wild with a herd.
Noseda said the neighborhood misses Charlie, but so do his fans I hope he settles in a safer home – and finds love again.
“Once he's done with his grieving period, and no one knows quite how long that will take…I'm sure he'll find another companion,” she said.
