It’s the end of an era in the capital city.
The last of what was once a flock of swans owned and maintained by the city of St. John’s has moved on to Nova Scotia for his retirement.
Harry and his mate at Mundy Pond (Greg Noseworthy)
Harry the swan, a popular attraction at Mundy Pond, lost his mate a couple of years ago, and city officials felt it best that he be transferred to Hope for Wildlife in Nova Scotia to live out his remaining years in the company of similar water fowl.
Harry the swan at Mundy Pond (Greg Noseworthy)
Ward councillor Greg Noseworthy knows it will come as a disappointment to many who enjoyed watching the swans at Mundy Pond.
He says the city doesn’t have any current plans to replenish the swan population in municipal parks, in part because of the continued threat of bird flu in the region.
“So, right now, probably not,” says Noseworthy, “given the unfortunate reality of bird flu which is still unfortunately circulating. We want to make sure that we’re minimizing any risk for potential exposure.”
He says with a lot of ducks, gulls, songbirds and pigeons at city parks, the risk of spread is high.
