This father swan stepped up to care for his young when his mate passed away.

A swan family at the Charles River Esplanade in Boston became celebrities when news of the mother giving birth hit the news. Sadly, the mom passed away on May 31 due to unknown causes.

An autopsy by the city’s veterinarian revealed no signs or problems with the mother. There were no foreign materials in her oral cavity nor were there any unwanted materials inside her.

It was a non-profit organization Esplanade Association that posted the news on Twitter.

“We’re saddened to report that the mother swan of the adorable Esplanade swan family passed away last night in her nest. We want to thank @animalboston for safely removing her from the swan’s nest while the father swan sat at the nest with their cygnets tucked under his wings.”

Such a sad day for the swans and all involved.

Now it’s always news when a parent passes away especially after just giving birth. With swans though, it’s a bit more challenging. Their young are extremely vulnerable for the first two weeks, and then they need to make it to three months.

If they do make it, then there’s a huge chance of them growing stronger before being able to finally be on their own.

These cygnets lost their mother during a crucial part of their life. So when the father stepped up, people were really impressed.

It was photographer Sylvia Zarco who witnessed the mama swan’s final moments. He’d been following the family since April but when he saw her unable to lift and hold up her head after sheltering her cygnets, he knew something was wrong. The mother also had difficulty standing and couldn’t even swim straight.

Her mate saw the ordeal so he rushed over to help the female swan get to the opposite shore where she could rest on the rocks to lessen the risk of drowning. By the time the Boston Animal Control got there, the mom had already died.

As heartbreaking as it all was for the father, he knew she’d want him to continue caring for their young. So that’s exactly what this swan did.

Photographer Matthew Raifman captured a wonderful moment on camera. The father carried his young on his back across the Charles River Esplanade while a fourth cygnet followed closely behind.

These little ones are still within their two-week survival period. Cygnets beyond fourteen days no longer ride on their parents’ back as they become heavier!

Matthew shared the moment on Facebook.

“Thought I’d share one of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming stories in a while. Last week, six baby swans were born on the Charles. The mother died a few days later of unknown causes. One of the cygnets drowned, another had to be rescued by animal control. I ran to a bridge to the lagoon just in time to take these. Hopefully, our newest swan family is in the clear, but at least all of the Greater Boston Area is pulling for them!”

He goes on to share that he relates well to the father swan as he is a new dad himself.

A tragic moment turned into a touching scene for the residents of Boston. It’s not every day people get to witness the amazing qualities of animals. We would do well to pay attention and perhaps learn a thing or two from this swan.

Check out this incredible story below!

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Source: mypositiveoutlooks, swanlife