PHOTO VIA WILLIAMS EXOTIC WATERFOWL FACEBOOK PAGE
Travis Williams of Williams Exotic Waterfowl (Facebook) released a video statement (embedded at the end of this story) addressing the removal of Lake Eola’s white mute swans and the widely circulated footage of a male swan returning to an empty nest after his mate was removed.
Williams, who operates a 200-acre facility in Lake Butler, said the City of Orlando contacted him about a month ago, asking if he could rehome some of their resident swans. The city initially wanted to reduce the population, but later decided to remove all 35 to 40 white mute swans from Lake Eola.
The removal began Saturday morning with Williams and his 15-year-old daughter collecting a pair with five cygnets and swans on nests. One female swan was removed with her eggs, but her mate was not with her at the nest and did not respond when the female was taken to the water to call for him.
“The rangers on duty told us that that swan had not had a mate with her for maybe a month,” Williams said. He said they believed the male may have been hit by a car, affected by the January avian flu outbreak, or abandoned the nest due to the Florida heat.
On Sunday, Mother’s Day, Williams received a video showing the male swan had returned to the empty nest.
“We immediately called the city,” Williams said. “We wanted them to be able to go identify this male, get their hands on him. Even with diesel at $6 a gallon, we were going to go straight back down there, get this male, bring him back to this female.”
The city attempted to catch the male swan on Monday, but he eluded capture. A planned collection on Tuesday morning was cancelled when the boat used to corral swans was inoperable. Williams said he plans to bring multiple swans to his facility so the female can identify her mate. “She will know her mate, they will know each other, and they will go back together immediately,” he said.
According to Williams, two swans are completely blind in both eyes, and several others are blind in one eye. The swans are underweight, likely from parasites.
Williams said he has received threats and hate messages, forcing him to temporarily shut down his business Facebook page. He is not accepting donations and said if people want to give, they should donate to their church or Unity Baptist Church in Lake Butler.
He said he hopes to eventually return swans to Lake Eola after construction and improvements are complete, with proper nutrition and veterinary programs in place.
“We have the best interest of the swans in our hearts,” Williams said. “That’s all that we care about is that the swans are in a safe environment, and they are protected, and they’re back together, happy with their families.”
