It is an unusual story. In the US, in the rural state of New York, three teenagers have been arrested for… killing and eating a swan. The facts took place in the village of Manlius, where swans are inescapable characters, which caused a lot of emotions.
The swan that was eaten by the teenagers is called Faye and is a 16-year-old female. It had been given to the village in 2010. During the last weekend of the “Memorial”, which celebrates veterans in the United States, three teenagers allegedly jumped over the fence to approach the pond where the swans lived. Two of the teenagers would then have held Faye, who was riding, down to catch her. Then they would have killed all three of him. They also stole four live swans. There was then only Manny, Faye’s companion, left in the pond.
The living swans
The animals were then brought to one of the teenagers’ parents. The swan would then have been cooked and then eaten with the family, according to statements made by the teenagers to police. The teenagers said they mistook the swan “for a really big duck,” Manlius Police Officer Ken Hatter told reporters. “They had no idea how important the swans were to this community,” or that the swans belonged to the village, he continued.
The swans were found safe and sound. The teenagers would have indicated that they wanted to make pets out of them.
The three teenagers, aged 16, 17 and 18, have been charged by the police with vandalism and theft. According to Sergeant Hatter, they would have “thought and realized it was wrong”.
“It’s sad, it’s like we lost a family member,” said the city’s mayor. He indicated that cameras would be added to the pond to prevent a repeat of the incident.
