Under new rules and regulations from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Faye and Manny, the beloved mute swans in the village of Manlius, will not be allowed to reproduce anymore because they are an “invasive species” that needs to be eradicated from the state.
“It’s unfortunate,” Manlius Mayor Paul Whorrall said. “Swans have been a symbol of Manlius for over 100 years. People come from all over to see the swans and they look forward to seeing the cygnets each year.”
The evidence of the swan as a symbol can be seen on banners, signs, the village website, village logo and even in some of the businesses in the village.
The New York State Mute Swan Management Plan has declared mute swans, native to European and Asian countries, an invasive species due to “aggressive behavior towards people, destruction of submerged aquatic vegetation, displacement of native wildlife species, degradation of water quality and potential hazards to aviation.”
There are about 2,200 mute swans in New York state and, by 2025, the DEC wants to eliminate the species.
According to Whorrall, the village has applied to for an invasive species permit to be able to keep Manny and Faye, but would have to outline a plan to prevent the pair from mating or to destroy any eggs that were produced.
This news comes three years after seven swan eggs were destroyed by a resident in the village, causing outrage as well as concern to Manlius residents about the safety of the swans. Some residents formed a 24-hour patrol to keep watch on them.
“It’s upsetting,” Whorrall said. “Each year the cygnets are used as a learning experience for elementary children … They learn about swans, visit the cygnets and each year, an elementary class gets to name them based on what they learn.”
Typically, Manny and Faye’s eggs are laid around April and are hatched in May. Cygnets born in the Manlius swan pond are brought to mute swan breeders in other states before the next set of eggs are laid and hatched, said Michael Bean, caretaker of the swans who donated the pair five years ago.
Bean said he thinks this DEC ruling is unfair to responsible owners of mute swans and the original plan by the DEC was to target wild, free-ranging mute swans.
“If they were in the wild, they would be able to mate. Those wild mute swans are the ones who are causing the problems,” Bean said. “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep swans like Manlius does and this ruling may make it obsolete.”
Bean has been in contact with the DEC to see if there is any way to appeal the no-breeding rule in the case of Manny and Faye because Faye carries a recessive genetic trait that is passed down to her cygnets that gives some white bills, white feet and blue eyes rather than the usual black feet, black-and-orange bills and brown eyes.
“We are not going to win — it is my gut feeling,” said Bean. “It’s a ‘David and Goliath’ situation between us and the DEC.”
Bean said one way to bring this issue to life is to send a letter to the New York State DEC.
After news of the DEC plans to eliminate the mute swan population, a change.org petition was created by “Village of Manlius Residents & The Manlius Swan Pond Lovers” to send to Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state DEC. As of press time, over 600 signatures have been collected.
To sign to petition, go to change.org/p/andrew-cuomo-new-york-state-department-of-environmental-conservation-save-the-village-of-manlius-mute-swan-s-offspring-every-year?recruiter.
Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Eagle Bulletin. She can be reached at [email protected].
