VILLAGE OF MANLIUS – The swans of Manlius have long been emblematic staples of their village, but this week saw a troubling turn of events for the local community’s protected and appreciated animals.
Over the Memorial Day weekend, the four cygnets that spend their days waddling next to and swimming in the swan pond in the center of the village were taken from their enclosure along with their mother.
Multiple tips from citizens allowed the Town of Manlius Police Department to locate two of those young swans at the Black Friday Bins discount store in the town of Salina’s Shop City Plaza. Further investigation by the police led to the recovery of the remaining two at a private residence in the city of Syracuse, and all four cygnets were brought back into the care of the biologist tasked with ensuring the health and well-being of the swans for the municipality.
It was revealed, however, that Faye—the mama swan—had been killed and later consumed by the culprits.
According to police, one adult and two juvenile suspects were charged with grand larceny in the third degree, criminal mischief in the second degree, conspiracy in the fifth degree, and criminal trespassing in the third degree for entering the fenced area where the swans are normally kept. The investigation in conjunction with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Police and the Syracuse Police Department is ongoing.
Manlius Mayor Paul Whorrall said he notified town police officers of the missing swans shortly before this year’s Memorial Day parade in his village, adding that the disappearance of those pet-like mascots was even more apparent because people tend to line up by the swan pond to view the parade.
Whorrall described the situation that unfolded as “disheartening” and “sickening,” but he gave credit to what he called an “extraordinarily great” police response.
“They were right on top of it immediately,” he said. “Within 24 hours, they had tracked down the babies and the people involved.”
Whorrall said he hopes for a “severe-enough” punishment to be handed down, believing that the perpetrators “knew exactly what they were doing.” He questioned how someone could mistake a swan for a duck and why a so-called hunter would be scaling a fence in the middle of the night to capture wildlife.
“It’s so hard to put it into words, like why would someone do this?” said Mark Olson, the mayor of the neighboring village of Fayetteville. “Those swans are as big as any iconic place in the village of Manlius, and to have something like that happen to them, I just can’t understand it.”
Olson said the naming of the adult male swan Manny and his mate Faye years ago in reference to the side-by-side villages demonstrated how the two communities remain intertwined. He said another connector is that Fayetteville supplies water to Manlius’ swan pond.
Recalling fond memories of taking his children to feed the swans and get ice cream at Sno Top nearby, Olson went on to say that he was “saddened” and “shocked” by the recent crimes at the pond and the sudden loss of one of Manlius’ symbolic white birds.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the whole village of Manlius community and everybody affected,” he said. “We are one community when it comes to tragedies like this.”
Whorrall said a positive takeaway from the ordeal was that all four cygnets were retrieved alive.
“Having them back here and knowing that they’ll grow up and be a symbol of what was here before this tragedy happened is gonna be the saving grace after losing Faye,” he said.
The swans have been part of the identity of Manlius since 1905, and their likeness can be seen on signage throughout the village. A memorial with flowers, an outpouring of condolences, and the message to “rest in grace” began to form last week by the swan pond in memory of Faye.
Whorrall said he remembers strolling by the local pond every Sunday morning when he was younger, back when he was delivering newspapers. He said it has become a tradition for people who moved away from Manlius to return to the area and see the swans with their kids, the appeal of the animals coming from their “serenity” and “beauty.”
“The swans are an important part of our village,” said Whorrall, whose office is decorated with multiple paintings and photos of swans gifted to him over the years. “They’re visited daily by people, even people that aren’t from here.”
Signed by over 1,500 people at press time, a petition on change.org directed at Manlius decision makers is calling for the permanent removal of the swans from captivity—a plea rebuffed by Whorrall.
“Just because there’s some naysayers out there that like to go on those neighborhood chats and Facebook and start petitions so they can make a name for themselves and get what they want, we’re not gonna listen to them,” he said. “If you want to do that, come sit in my office, meet me face to face, and we’ll discuss it.”
Whorrall said the Village of Manlius is putting in more cameras around the swan pond with plans to livestream a view of it for officials and the public to monitor. He said Manny will be removed from the site and brought to another location where he can mate with another swan, while he hopes for the cygnets to be reacclimated to the pond this summer to “get some type of normality back.”
