Two swans with fishing-related wounds have mysteriously disappeared, and some avian advocates fear the worst.
The pair of sibling cygnets, dubbed “Hooky” and “Wired” for their scars from fishing hooks and line, were last seen around Dec. 14 in Prospect Park by swan-enthusiasts Ed Bahlman and Anne-Katrin Titze, who remain concerned about the missing swans’ well-being.
“We don’t know what happened,” Titze said. “Why would they abandon their family?”
Last month, The Brooklyn Paper went global with a story that revealed how aberrant anglers had discarded fishing line into the lake and inadvertently trapped waterfowl.
“Hooky,” with a hook through his beak, and “Wired,” who had a line wrapped around his chest, were the focus of The Paper’s ground-breaking report.
Yet shortly after the story was published, the two swans went AWOL, according to Titze, who, with Bahlman, visits the swans daily.
Another birdwatcher, Larry Zirlin, said that no one should jump to any conclusions about the swans’ fate, pointing out that it is not uncommon for cygnets to leave their flock.
“Probably — hopefully — they flew off,” Zirlin said. “Often the parents don’t want them around after a while.”
Still, concerned parkgoers should remain on the lookout for two young swans with a mix of brown and white feathers, one with a small hole in its beak, the other with a string of fishing line dangling out of its breast.
If spotted, call 311. All calls will be kept confidential.
