Published: Wednesday, 4th August, 2010 5:00pm

Vet to the rescue for injured swan

Denise Sivakova with Gino (6) and Jennifer (5) were passers-by when Cavan town based vet, Sean O'Reilly, tended to the injured swan he rescued at Loreto Wood.

They're not pets in the literal sense, but who doesn't love swans? When an injured swan was found stranded and distressed in Loreto Wood in Cavan last week a story of grief and loss unfolded.

Neighbours gathered round while Cavan vet, Sean O'Reilly, was called to the scene. The Anglo-Celt was told that residents in a house overlooking Drumgola Lake had been following the progress of the swan in the lake. The swan, who had four cygnets earlier this year, subsequently seemed to have lost her mate. The swan and cygnets were gone from the lake two weeks ago, but a similar entourage was seen walking down the road in the Loreto Cross area, before the swan was found distressed, injured and without her cygnets.

The March Of The Penguins is something we wouldn't see live in this climate, but that of the swans is a familiar sight in Cavan, according to locasls.

Swans are often seen moving from Drumgola Lake (formerly known as Mulligan's Lough) to Pear Tree Lake, which is about a mile away. The vet explained that when cygnets are too young to fly, swans and their young make the journey on foot, and seem to favour the open space of main roads rather than walking through fields and ditches.

Mr. O'Reilly took the swan into his care to set the broken leg and nurse her back to health in the hope of releasing the swan back into water when she recovers. Regarding the stress of losing her mate and cygnets, Mr. O'Reilly says "hopefully nature will look after that".