The Battle for Manlius’ Mute Swans
A Quiet Struggle
Elegant white swans have an outsize presence in this upstate New York village measuring less than 2 square miles. Their likeness is on village flags, community centers, and welcome signs. "Swan Fest" is celebrated each fall.
A Century of Swan Habitat
Residents say it’s hard to imagine Manlius without the mute swans that have inhabited a pond in the village center for more than 100 years. Until recently, they didn’t have to.
A Deadly Incident
But the violent killing of one of the village’s swans in 2023 set off a battle with regulators that is forcing Manlius to make a difficult decision about the birds’ future: it’s put the village that wants to keep them at odds with a state that views them as trouble.
A Choice: Sterilize or Replace
By the end of the year, Manlius must choose: Keep its four existing mute swans but sterilize them, or retain only two of the same sex. Either option would end the village’s annual tradition of watching the swans hatch and raise cygnets, and could signal the beginning of the end of their presence in Manlius altogether.
A Village’s Plea
"I don’t think they understand how important it is to this village," said Mayor Paul Whorrall, a lifelong resident who as a boy passed the swans on his paper route and is loath to see them go under his watch. "If you take away the swans, you’re taking away a lot of the identity of the village."
A State’s Perspective
In recent years, New York has moved to limit the number of mute swans within its borders, managing them as an invasive species whose numbers have grown since they were brought over from Europe in the late 1800s. Before escaping or being released into the wild, the majestic birds with long curved necks beautified ponds on private estates in the lower Hudson Valley and on Long Island, where most of the swans — an estimated 2,200 — are still concentrated.
The Problem with Mute Swans
The Department of Environmental Conservation says the huge birds disrupt ecosystems, degrade water quality with their waste, and eat as much as 8 pounds of submerged vegetation daily. With wingspans of nearly 7 feet and weighing 20 to 25 pounds, the swans have also had aggressive run-ins with people and displaced native wildlife.
A License in Jeopardy
Manlius had a license that was supposed to last through 2025, allowing it to uphold what had been the status quo: a pair of adult swans named Manny and Faye lived in the pond, and each spring hatched cygnets, which were eventually transferred out of state before they were old enough to reproduce.
The Fateful Incident and Its Consequences
That all changed last year, when police say three Syracuse teenagers climbed a fence and took Faye and her four cygnets. The teens decapitated Faye, brought her to a relative to cook and eat her, police said. The babies were recovered and returned to the pond, but Manny behaved aggressively toward them and was sent to live in Pennsylvania. Now, the four young swans, two male and two female, are the only ones in the pond.
A Deadline Looms
That means Manlius no longer meets the terms of its license, which specifies that it possess two adult swans. A revised license allowing the village to have the four swans will run out at the end of this year.
The Village’s Plea Falls on Deaf Ears
People are going to cause crimes, and unfortunately, that’s part of life, and you’ve got to just do what you can to move on, Whorrall said. And that’s what we’re doing, we’re trying to move on. And they’re making it hard to move on.
Conclusion
The battle for Manlius’ mute swans is a complex one, pitting the village’s desire to preserve its identity against the state’s desire to manage the species’ impact on the environment. As the deadline approaches, it remains to be seen whether Manlius will be able to find a way to keep its beloved swans or if they will be forced to leave the village they have called home for over a century.
FAQs
Q: What is the issue with mute swans?
A: The Department of Environmental Conservation views mute swans as an invasive species that disrupt ecosystems, degrade water quality, and eat excessive amounts of vegetation.
Q: Why is Manlius fighting to keep its mute swans?
A: Manlius residents see the swans as an integral part of the village’s identity and tradition, and they are resisting the state’s efforts to limit their numbers.
Q: What are the options being proposed for Manlius’ mute swans?
A: The village must choose between sterilizing all four swans or retaining only two of the same sex, which would end the village’s annual tradition of watching the swans hatch and raise cygnets.
