Beware of Aggressive Mute Swans in Lake Zoar in Monroe: CT DEEP

SANDY HOOK, CT — Swimmers and boaters in Lake Zoar are being warned to look out for mute swans, NBC CT News reports. The mute swan is one of the largest, exotic of Connecticut’s birds with between 1,000 and 1,400 mute swans breeding in the state at both inland and coastal locations, so says the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CT DEEP).

While pretty to look at, the swans' aggressive behavior also could be a danger to swimmers, boaters and fishermen when they are defending their nests, the CT DEEP said. They lay an average of 5 to 7 eggs at a time that are incubated in their nests for 36 to 38 days.

"The cob becomes more aggressive when defending the incubating pen or young cygnets and will chase and even attack other nearby wildlife and people. Most cygnets fledge by early fall but will remain with the adults until late fall," the CT DEEP said.

"Mute swans can cause a variety of problems, including aggressive behavior towards people, destruction of submerged aquatic vegetation, displacement of native wildlife species, and degradation of water quality. Many biologists and conservationists also consider the mute swan to be an ecologically damaging exotic species. During the nesting and brood rearing periods, must swans are very territorial. Both males and females are aggressive toward people and other waterfowl within their nesting area. Sometimes their behavior is so aggressive that they will drive other waterfowl out of areas where the swans are nesting. Reports of swan attacks on people, especially small children and users of personal watercraft (kayaks, jet skis, canoes, etc.), are common. Because of this, people need to exercise caution when using waters occupied by swans during the nesting and brood-rearing periods."

Photo by Wendy Ann Mitchell