One of Devon seaside town's iconic black swans is killed by dog on lead as it sat on eggs in a nest

An iconic black swan in a seaside town has been killed by a dog that was on a lead – leaving behind six unhatched eggs. 

Dawlish Town Council in south Devon said the father swan had been sitting on the eggs when the attack occurred on Sunday night at Tuck’s Plot. The male swan, or cob, was ‘part of a mating pair whose cygnets are due to hatch later this week’. 

Waterfowl wardens have placed six of the seven eggs from the nest in an incubator and they are ‘hopeful’ the cygnets may still hatch and can be reunited with their mother who has remained at the nest.

The incident happened when it was dark and the council said the dog owner has been left ‘devastated’ following the attack, which happened whilst the animal was on a short lead.

Dawlish Town Council in south Devon said the father swan (pictured) had been sitting on the eggs when the attack occurred on Sunday night at Tuck’s Plot

The male swan was ‘part of a mating pair whose cygnets are due to hatch later this week’ (pictured)

Waterfowl wardens have placed six of the seven eggs from the nest in an incubator and they are ‘hopeful’ the cygnets may still hatch and can be reunited with their mother who has remained at the nest

The owner alerted wardens immediately after the attack happened and the incident is currently being investigated.

Following the attack, the council have said confirmed that there are now just three black swans left in Dawlish. 

The birds were introduced to the town as a gift from Australia in the early 1900s by a Dawlish resident who had emigrated and they have become an iconic symbol of the resort and a major tourist attraction. 

Posting the news on Facebook, a Dawlish Town Council spokesperson said: ‘We are sad to inform everyone that there has been an unfortunate incident where the father black swan has been killed by a dog on a lead in Tuck’s Plot. 

The history of black swans in the  south Devon town of Dawlish:

The Black Swan is originally native to the West Coast of Australia and first recorded in the 17th Century. 

They were introduced in the early 1900s by a Dawlish resident who had emigrated from New Zealand.

The birds have since become an unofficial iconic symbol of the resort and a major tourist attraction.  

The female swan is more likely to have a number of partners that produce multiple clutches of eggs each year.

 Unlike most other breeds of swan, the male Black Swan not only helps with the building of the nest but also spends more time sitting on them than the female.

Ever since the swans have been reintroduced, they have become a tourist attraction in the town and we are lucky enough once again this year to be able to see more cygnets have joined the bevy.

Source: Welcome Family 

A black swan with a cygnet in Dawlish, south Devon (file image)

‘The waterfowl wardens have removed the eggs from the nest to continue their incubation in the compound. 

‘Mother swan is still at the nest, and we will be maintaining a careful watch on her welfare. The exact circumstances of the incident are still being investigated.

‘We would remind everyone whether they have a dog or not to give all the waterfowl a distance and respect their space.’

They added: ‘The dog owner involved in the swan death is utterly distraught by what has occurred. The dog was on a short lead in the dark and it was an unforeseen occurrence which they tried to stop. 

‘The owner advised the wardens straighten after it happened. We are aware that some postings on Facebook about the owner are not appropriate and ask people to be mindful of their comments, no matter how much they love our beautiful waterfowl. ‘ 

Devastated local residents have taken to social media, with one user claiming the female swan has been ‘calling for its mate’.

One user wrote: ‘If you can’t control a dog on a leash then should not have a dog in your possession. So sad it was one our beloved swans but also could have been a child.’

Another said: ‘Shocking news and such a shame for all concerned. Something needs to be done, it’s not the dogs fault it’s the owners. Name and shame and a heavy fine.’

Another user wrote: ‘Totally unacceptable, whatever is wrong with the owner of the dog!’

One more added: ‘Just watching the female swan calling for its mate. So very sad. Do they know who’s dog it was?’

The black swan population was tragically hit by bird flu last year, which dramatically affected their numbers and killed both adult swans and cygnets. 

They were also hit by infertility before the start of the Covid pandemic, which also reduced the population.