Iconic Stratford, Ont., swans go rogue from Avon River prompting city-wide search

A whodunit is flowering in Stratford, Ont., and it's  non on the metropolis's famous theatre represent. 

The City of Stratford is asking people to keep their eyes peeled for another iconic feature in town: a group of white swans that have been missing from their usual home on the Avon River for more than a week. 

"We weren't overly concerned [at first] because they have gone down the river a little bit before, but then we hadn't seen them for a week," said Quin Malott, the city's parks, forestry and cemetery manager.

Malott said he first noticed three of the six swans that he usually sees when he feeds them each morning on Lake Victoria were missing on Thursday. He didn't think anything of it, he said, until the other three were gone the following day. 

"We've been feeding them in this area every day for months and they'd always come, but then they didn't," he said. "It's just a bit of a surprise so we went looking for them," Malott said. 

He and his team checked along the river and at the nearby golf course, but the missing swans were not in their usual spots. That's when they decided to put a post about the missing birds on the city's Facebook page, asking residents to keep a lookout.

Malott said dozens of people called to report that they had spotted one of the birds in a stormwater retention pond in the city's north end. Malott's crew visited the swan Thursday to begin feeding it, before they set out to catch it later this week.

"We like to feed them and get them comfortable with people, and then we catch them."

Another three swans were spotted up the river by residents, Malott said, but he and his team hadn't yet found them. 

The city has 18 swans that typically live on the Avon River. The birds are one of Stratford's most iconic symbols, with some business owners saying they're both an attraction for tourists and a sign of home for locals.

"They feel like the city's pets. They're kind of like the mascot," said Kelan Herr, who is the co-owner of The Boathouse, located next to the river.

"People on the boats always want to see the swans, and when we come by them we will slow down. It's a great opportunity for people to take photos and also for us to give a little bit of information about them," he said. "That part is very missed."

Herr said he can't recall the last time he saw the swans, adding that while he's noticed them go missing in years past, it's unusual for them to be gone so long. 

Stratford Festival executive director Anita Gaffney said she's never heard of a situation like this in the city before.

"[Swans are] something you expect to see on the river, and our visitors are often walking around the river, having picnics, enjoying that setting and watching the swans swim by," she said. 

"They've been in the community for decades and they're sort of an image of the pastoral and tranquil qualities of Stratford," Gaffney added. 

It's still unclear why any of the six swans left in the first place.

The question has captivated social media, with one Instagram account sharing edited photos of the swans on vacation.

Meanwhile, Malott said it's possible than an animal scared the swans down the river, but it's hard to know for sure.

"We can't quite speculate why they went farther than they usually do," he said. 

Anybody who sees a rogue swan is asked to call or email the City of Stratford. 

Reporter/Editor

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