‘Like a romance novel’: Video shows dramatic reunion of Toronto swan mates

For Mango, who has nested at Bluffer’s Park in Scarborough for years, the sound would have been unmistakable. Just as humans recognize the voices of their partners, so do swans. Mango started honking back.

“It was like a romance novel,” said Ann Brokelman, the volunteer from the Toronto Wildlife Centre who released Mango Thursday afternoon. “He stopped, turned, looked at her. She stopped, turned, looked at him. And they just sort of stared at each other and then she took off running right towards him … It was just magical.”

The rare moment — something Brokelman had never seen in over 500 releases she has done — was caught on video and came three days after Mango had been taken in by the wildlife centre with a graphic injury.

Brokelman spotted Mango earlier this week with blood pouring out of his beak, turning his radiant white coat of feathers into a gruesome pink-tinged mess.

“Just like humans, faces tend to be pretty vascular, so they bleed a lot,” said Sarah Castillo, assistant manager of centre’s rescue team. “Beaks are pretty similar.”

The cut was likely caused by a fishing hook or something resting on the bottom of the lake, like a piece of broken glass, according to Susan Best, president of Trumpeter Swan Conservation Ontario. Ingesting hooks — especially those made from lead — can be fatal.

Lead can come from lures or sinkers, or even traditional lead pellets, which are no longer permitted over water but can still be found there. Lead poisoning is “the biggest threat to the swans,” Best said.

Brokelman alerted the wildlife centre of the injury to Mango — officially swan Y37 — and Castillo jumped into action. Upon arriving, she discovered Mango was lethargic, not wanting to be near his mate and not reactive to food. Eventually, Castillo caught Mango by using corn as bait.

By the time Mango arrived at the hospital, his cut had started to scab over. The staff there did blood tests to ensure his lead levels were low and X-rays confirmed there were no metal objects they couldn’t feel or see.

Mango remained at the centre while the staff cleaned his feathers. Blood can disrupt the waterproofing on swan feathers, causing the birds to sink.

But the wildlife centre was also in a race against time: while Mango healed, his mate — officially swan 717 but nicknamed Charlotte — was without a partner as mating season began.

Swans are typically monogamous for life, according to Best, and Mango and Charlotte have mated together for years. But the longer Mango was away, the more likely it became that Charlotte would find another mate — and thus increasing the chances of fights between that mate and Mango, Castillo said.

In the meantime, Charlotte searched for Mango. For Trumpeter swans, named as such because of their vocal tendencies, that means honking.

“She obviously noticed he was gone and was like, ‘Where are you?’ ” Castillo said. “Finally after a couple days, he was able to respond.”

The video shows Mango looking around, then running toward Charlotte. The pair honks and flaps their wings rapidly. Charlotte bobs her head up and down. It’s what Best calls a victory dance.

“They exhibit that behaviour when they have chased off an intruder and they get back together,” she explained. “It’s a body language that they do with their exclusive mate, so they don’t do that body language with any other bird … Interpret that as a bonding behaviour.”

The dance continued for at least 10 minutes, Brokelman said, before the releasing group ushered the swans off the pavement and into the water — where they continued “talking to one another” and preening each other’s feathers.

“It was one of those magical moments that I’ll never forget,” Brokelman said. “Just beautiful.”