Swan Rescued after Beak Freezes Shut

(Photo: Europics)

A swan was swimming amidst a group of ducks in the Peacock River, Korla, Xinjiang, China. A couple walking along the river noticed that in the cold weather, the swan's beak had frozen shut with a thick layer of ice. The swan was unable to eat food offered to her.

The couple alerted the Swan Guard, which is a local force that provides care for resident swans. The Swan Guard lured the swan into a warm building, where the ice thawed. The New York Post reports:

“I have been caring for swans for years and I admit that this is the first time I have ever come across anything like this,” said Swan Guard Sheng Liang. “We think it must have happened when she fell asleep with a wet beak.”

Sheng, 45, lured the frozen fowl to shore, then rushed her to a “swan house” the group uses for healing sick or injured birds, according to CEN.

“Once there, we put her in a warm room and waited for the ice to melt,” Sheng said. “Once she could open her beak again, we gave her a special treat of fish before taking her back to the river.”

-via Huffington Post