One of the reasons we chose this house is the large pond a
few yards from our door. When we moved in, there was a swan in residence. If we
walked around the pond, the ducks and geese would tail us, looking for a
handout. But the swan stayed aloof, as far away as possible. We hadn’t lived
here long before he got tangled in some fishing tackle and had to be rescued by
animal services. He wasn’t returned to the pond, so we were left to wonder if he
recuperated in a safer place. Either way, he’s probably gone now. The life
expectancy of a swan in the wild is twelve years, and that was easily fifteen
years ago. I was reminded of “our” swan when I found a story of a Turkish man
who befriended a swan with a broken wing and has sheltered her ever since: for 37
years! Animals really do live longer when they’re well cared for.
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