Swan’s Song
“It’s a wonderful moment when an animal totally trusts you,” Born to Explore TV show host Richard Wiese said. “When I put [the swan] next to me I could feel [her] heart beating, and she just relaxed her neck and wrapped it around mine.” [readon]
Swans are territorial and protective, and that means they don’t like humans getting too close. But this particular swan needed help after flying into a chain link fence. Wiese was working in the U.K. with a team from the Regal Swan Foundation and Swan Lifeline to rehabilitate injured birds and they needed to pick this one up to get her treated.
“I could feel [her] chest beating against mine. To fully experience it, I felt like I wanted to close my eyes and isolate myself for the moment. It’s a really terrific feeling when you feel that bond and mutual trust with this non-verbally communicating animal, when the animal realizes you intend it no harm.”