Several years ago the graceful, long-necked birds showed up unannounced and were quickly adopted as mascots for the wooded town of 500 people built around two lakes in north Fulton County.
When a coyote killed Juliet, residents made sure the male, Romeo, was provided another love interest, also named Juliet. When she died of an infection caused by a fishhook in the neck, they came up with Viola last fall.
Residents loved to see the swans cruising the lake, but Mayor Jim Still said the birds and the town never had the right chemistry. The swans were too aggressive, especially at nesting time.
"It made it a little hard to go on the swing set when you had a large white swan chasing you," Still said.
The real violence started a few about a month ago when Viola's leg was mangled, apparently by a snapping turtle, said Karen Segars, the clerk and Mountain Park's only full-time employee.
Viola spent 10 days at the veterinarian and ran up a $1,000 bill, paid by a local civic club. The three cygnets were so young they had to stay with Viola. When mother and babies returned, Romeo started hurting a cygnet, apparently viewing it as a rival for food, Segars said. Viola joined the beatdown.
"Children were hysterical because the mother and father were attacking a baby swan," Segars said. "The decision was made on the spot that the babies must be saved."
In the following days, Romeo crossed into Lake Garrett and started killing wood ducklings. Before, he'd stuck to Lake Cherful. The city council called a special meeting June 27 and decided to find a new home for the birds. By that time, the birds had been moved to a private pond near Cumming, Segars said. The cygnets were sold, the money used to pay part of the vet bill.
That's the swan song for Romeo and Viola.
"They coexisted for several years," Segars said. "Then whatever happened, happened."
Labels: Forsyth, Forsyth County, Mountain Park, North Fulton, Swans
# posted by
Brian Vanderhoff @ 10:28 AM
