A well-known pair of mute swans that had become a fixture along the Queens waterfront has been abruptly separated after one of the birds, known locally as Swanny, was discovered with catastrophic injuries and later euthanized. The loss has stunned residents of Long Island City and raised fears of human involvement after animal rescuers reported signs of trauma consistent with deliberate harm. Attention has now shifted to the fate of Swanny's mate, Odette, who has not been seen at Hallett's Cove since the incident.
The episode began on Thanksgiving Day, when a passerby contacted Rossana Ceruzzi, founder of the Wildlife Freedom Foundation, to report an unwell bird collapsed on the shoreline. City rangers transported the swan to Queens Animal Care Centers the following morning, where staff found him ice-cold, limp and struggling to breathe. An ACC representative said sand was packed into his "mouth, nostrils and feathers," suggesting he had been down for an extended period and had suffered "possible head trauma."
The center later released a statement describing his dire condition. "Despite immediate assessment by our veterinary team, the swan's condition was grave. It was minimally responsive, unable to lift its head, and suffering from profound weakness," the facility said. "Given the severity of its condition and its lack of viable treatment options, humane euthanasia was recommended to prevent further suffering."
Ceruzzi said witnesses have previously reported teenagers throwing rocks at the swans, including near the time Swanny was fatally injured. She believes the wounds were too extensive to be accidental and likely stemmed from deliberate cruelty. "The swans, believe it or not, are animals that are not necessarily beloved by everyone in New York. I think that this was an individual, being either a teen or a sick individual, who did that," she said, dismissing speculation that a ferry might have struck the bird.
The killing came only months after Swanny had returned from a lengthy rehabilitation. In March, he injured his wing and foot after becoming entangled in discarded netting and was rescued with the help of FDNY Marine Operations. After four months recovering at the Wildlife Freedom Foundation's Roosevelt Island campus, a widely shared August video showed him sprinting toward Odette as the pair appeared to reunite.
Ceruzzi described his loss as devastating. "It's painful; it's very, very painful. And now I'm very worried about Odette because she's alone," she said. "Odette has been out of there now for a few days, so she's mourning. They mourn because they mate for life."
Since Swanny's death, Odette has vanished from the cove, prompting concern among locals who say she may be seeking quieter waters. "They mourn for such a long period of time, so very likely she's just strolling far from there," Ceruzzi said. "I don't even know if she will ever go back there," she added. "It's very, very sad."
Residents who had grown used to watching the pair swim toward Roosevelt Island on what many called their nightly "date night" say the shoreline now feels unusually empty. Swanny's death, first reported by the New York Post, has renewed calls for stronger enforcement against animal cruelty and better protections for wildlife living in New York City's urban waterways.
