The other day, drivers heading down Southern State Parkway on Long Island, New York, began calling 911 when they saw three large birds wander into the middle of the dangerous road.
Authorities rushed to the scene, along with local animal rescuers John
Debacker and Karenlynn Stracher.
Debacker and Stracher are notorious in the area for their animal expertise. This year alone, Debacker, who specializes in cats, has completed numerous highway rescues, including a small black kitten trapped on a median and a second cat stranded on an overpass.
Police officers stopped traffic and guided the birds to a grassy area on the right side of the road. The group included two adult swans and their cygnet, who was still too young to fly.
Though they were off the road, the birds were still far from their habitat, a pond about 50 feet from the highway.
At first, rescuers let the swans take the lead, hoping they might go back to the pond themselves, occasionally diverting them from the road. Eventually, Debacker and Stracher realized they’d need to move the swans themselves. They cornered each swan and carefully made a grab, then moved the birds to the safety of a vehicle.
The animal experts were grateful for the police officers, who followed their lead and did what was best for the swans.
“It was great teamwork and coordination,” Debacker told The Dodo.
Rescuers drove the swan family back to their pond and opened the car doors. At last, the swans were safe in their habitat, their treacherous brush with humanity safely behind them.
