Man Constructs Raft To Save Swan's Eggs After Decade Of Watching Her Lose Them To Series Of Disasters

Jul 21, 2021 by apost team

The relationship between humankind and nature is constantly evolving, and even though the typical rule is not to interfere, sometimes, as humans, we can't help but feel obligated to intervene. This was true for one man who decided to try and help a pair of swan parents through the trials and tribulations of natural disasters.

In May of 2021, a 42-year-old man from St. Ives, Cambridgeshire, has become known in the area as "The Swan Man" — and for good reason. Rob Adamson has become somewhat of a guardian to these waterfowl, keeping an eye out for them over the years.

He's worked at Jones Boatyard for a decade; Adamson even lives in a boat on the water and it gives him a special appreciation for the flora and fauna he shares the water with. One pair of swans, in particular, had been trying to hatch and raise their babies without much success.

Natural disasters and other environmental factors had constantly thwarted the swans' attempt at hatching their babies. Whether foxes or flooding swept the eggs away, these swans had not yet been successful in their breeding endeavors every year. So when floodwaters started rising one recent evening, Adamson's thoughts turned to the swan pair and their most recent clutch. Sure enough, when he arrived on the scene — in the dark — to check on them, they were high and dry but perilously close to rising waters.

Read on to learn more about "The Swan Man" and what he has done to help a pair of swans successfully hatch their eggs after facing so many hardships and environmental hazards. 

Adamson told BBC:

"She is the unluckiest swan; I needed to make sure they survived."

In order to help with the swan babies' survival, Adamson built a raft tethered with a rope. The distance could be adjusted with rope, and eventually, Adamson managed to hoist the nest onto his flotation device invention.

Recognizing that he was engaging closely with nature, Adamson said:

"You're not supposed to interfere, but it had got to the point where they were all going to die. I couldn't go to bed knowing that. I knew I would regret it if I didn't do anything to save them. The dad was watching too, but neither of them attacked me. I think they knew it was their best chance."

Adamson's innovative intervention was offered praise by the Jones Boatyard Facebook page. The post read:

"A HUGE thank you to Rob who noticed at that the water was lapping around the swans nest at 9pm. Then in the dark, Rob managed to fashion a makeshift raft and lift the nest including hissing Swan and 9 eggs onto the raft. If only the Queen knew what great service he was doing for her feathered friends!"

Thanks to Adamson's life-saving efforts, the boatyard has told Newsweek that "most not all" of the eggs have hatched.

This wasn't Adamson's first time helping out birds. A few years prior, Adamson made news for rescuing an injured cygnet and even raising the bird. According to The Times, that swan, who was named Sidney, grew close to Adamson, and although they attempted to release the bird, Sidney missed Adamson too much to leave. 

"After Sid, I've got a special place in my heart for swans and I have been watching this pair fail for the last 10 years," Adamson admitted to BBC.

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What do you think of Adamson's clever idea? Do you have a similar experience? Let us know, and be sure to pass this on!