A swan that became stranded during Toronto’s record-setting snowfall last weekend is back on the mend after a dramatic rescue that unfolded in the middle of the storm.
Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC) says the large waterbird was one of several animals caught off guard when more than 40 centimetres of snow fell across the city on Sunday, Jan. 25 — the heaviest single-day January snowfall Toronto has seen in decades.
For one swan, the conditions turned dangerous. According to TWC, the bird became trapped in a parking lot where the snow was so deep he couldn’t stand, walk or take off. With no open water in sight, he resorted to the only instinct he had left: he tried to swim through the snow.
“He had become trapped in a parking lot. The snow was so deep the large bird couldn’t stand or take off, and did the only thing he could to try to escape — he swam,” the centre said. “He tried with all his might to paddle through the mounds of packed snow… but he couldn’t get very far.”
The swan’s luck changed when a woman named Debbie, out walking her dog during a brief lull in the storm, spotted the distressed bird struggling to move. She contacted TWC, and a rescue team quickly arrived to bring the exhausted animal to safety.
Even after reaching the wildlife centre, the swan made it clear he wasn’t thrilled about the ordeal. Staff say he was “very disgruntled,” hissing and honking at the medical team as they examined him.
Despite his attitude — and a small wound on his foot — he was in good shape considering his snowy struggle.
After a night of rest, a swim, and what TWC described as “some snacks,” the swan was cleared for release the next day. He will be returned to open water to rejoin other swans in the area.
Environment Canada’s snowfall analysis shows 61 cm fell in downtown Toronto during the Jan. 25 winter storm, one of the highest totals ever observed in the core. The agency also confirmed 46 cm at Toronto Pearson Airport, marking the snowiest day on record for the site.
