Queen Elizabeth gave swans to this Florida city in 1957. Royal relatives got a checkup
Queen Elizabeth lives on in Florida.
Back in 1957, the English monarch who died last month at the age of 96, gifted a mating pair of royal swans to Lakeland after she heard about the last remaining one in the Tampa area city falling victim to an alligator.
Their fine-feathered descendants are now part of the fabric of the town, even included in the logo. They reside in Lake Morton, a designated bird sanctuary.
On Tuesday morning, the regal birds got their yearly wellness check in Lakeland’s 42nd Annual Swan Roundup.
City of Lakeland spokesman Kevin Cook told LkldNow, the area’s community newspaper, that roughly 75 swans were placed in holding pens where they were evaluated for any medical issues, and the cygnets (babies) were microchipped to track their comings and goings.
Among the main health problems local vet Dr. Price Dickson saw were parasites and extra pounds. The swans are eating too many carbs, mostly white bread crumbs, fed to them by overzealous visitors, a no-no. Pro tip: Frozen peas or corn would be better options.
Because many of the birds are overweight, their feet (palmates) develop sores in a painful, debilitating condition called bumblefoot that can affect their joints, said Dickson.
READ MORE: Locals in Miami respond to the queen’s death
These noble creatures should all be recovered soon, and going forward, as always, treated with the utmost care and respect that comes with their birth right.
“They are definitely lineage from the royal flock,” said Cook. “It’s a rite of passage to come here.”
This story was originally published October 19, 2022 at 4:46 PM.
