“The just man takes care of his beast,

But the heart of the wicked – is merciless.”

The Holy Bible (Proverbs 12:10)

Mute Swans had once been cherished

As symbols of elegance and purity

Originally natives of Europe and Asia

They were brought to the U.S. in the 19^th Century

And like good parents of many different species

Mute Swans treasure their mates and their families

Yet both parents of six not yet hatched cygnet eggs

Were beaten and stabbed to death most hideously

It happened just a few weeks ago

In a crowded New York City Park

Their cruel human butchers had no pity

They attacked most savagely in the dark

It’s one thing to kill fowl for needed food

But quite another to butcher living beings just for spite

Since animal abuse has been linked to other human aggression

This evil savagery should give us all more than a bit of fright

Luckily the eggs of the murdered swans’ offspring survived

They were sent to a wildlife conservation center incubator

And because of the compassionate attention provided there

Six newly hatched mute swans were born two weeks later

Of course the perpetrators of this most hideous swan murder

Haven’t been found and no arrests are ever likely to take place

But these continued unnecessary acts of human barbarism today

Should make each one of us ashamed of our too violent human race

.

The last two orphaned mute swan cygnet eggs hatched Friday, joining four siblings born Thursday in an incubator at Green Chimneys, a farm and wildlife conservation center in Brewster, NY, where needy and orphaned animals are used in therapy sessions for troubled children.

"We're six for six," said a beaming Paul Kupchok, who heads the wildlife program at the center. "We'd like to have this end up being a happy story."

On Friday morning, Kupchok moved the six newborn babies into a glass-fronted brooder, with water and food - shredded spinach, kale, and asparagus - and a heat lamp. In 10 days or so, they will probably be moved to an outdoor pen with a small pond.

These six mute swan births added a bittersweet chapter to the horrific tale of their murdered parents, both found beaten and brutally stabbed to death May 5th in a Bronx park.

No arrests have been made according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Mute Swans received their name because they are silent creatures.  And they mate for life.  The picture above shows an adult mating couple in its classic heart shaped display of deep affection for one another.

We humans could probably learn a great deal from the Mute Swan.