Swooning for Swans

By Amy Mikel in News on Jun 17, 2008 4:47PM

Two baby swans that hatched at Lincoln Park Zoo a month ago will soon be part of a program that is helping to repopulate the Midwest with Trumpeter Swans*, a once-endangered breed which was almost completely eliminated from the Midwest in the early 1900’s.

In the fall, the swans will be taken to a wetland in Iowa, under the care of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The swans are free to select their own mate for the winter, and will be released into the wild in the spring.

Up to this point, Lincoln Park Zoo has contributed 33 juvenile swans to the Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program. [abc7, image via Joe M500]

* Required reading: The Trumpet of the Swan by E.B. White