Swan dad raises baby cygnets after mother died

At the Charles River Esplanade in Boston, Massachusetts, swans have been a frequent sight. When a swan couple decided to raise their family there in early April, they made a nest along the pillars by the lagoon. Male and female swans bond for life with very few exceptions.

According to the Esplanade Association, the female swan had laid nine eggs and about a month later cygnets hatched.

And then the photos posted by Mark Garfinkel showed the mom and dad swans fussing over the babies and making sure the seven new fluffy cygnets were cared for and safe. Onlookers gathered and smiled as they watched the family swim around for several weeks.

When more photos from the Charles River Esplanade were posted taken by photographer Jack Daryl, it was time to ask the public for names for the little ones. Everything was moving along smoothly and nothing but smiles graced the entire area until tragedy struck last Monday. Tragically, the mother swan became ill and died.

Animal Care and Control responded over the female swan’s declining health as she could be seen having trouble keeping her head up or standing, but by the time help arrived, the mom swan had died. The cause of her death has not been determined.

And so the smiles from visitors turned to sadness and concern about the welfare of the cygnets, but it may be that Mother Nature has her own fail safe. Dad swan took over and has stepped into the role of raising the babies.

Check out the video:

The dad and his babies do seem to be doing well and can be seen swimming together – perhaps the cutest photo of all was photographer Matthew Raifman’s showing the dad carrying the babies on his back.

Let’s hope all of the babies grow up and later return with mates of their own and have their families in the esplanade for many years to come. It sure gives people a reason to smile.

Originally appeared on:petrescuereport.com