Surprise for experts as famously faithful swans have rare 'divorce'

Bumping into the ex at a gathering, especially if you have your new partner with you, is not a social problem that famously faithful swans often experience.

But experts at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust centre at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire have witnessed a rare “divorce” between two Bewick’s swans – with both parties bringing their new partners to winter at the site.

It is only the second time in more than 4,000 pairs of Bewick’s swans studied over 40 years at Slimbridge, that a separation has been recorded.

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It is not unheard of for the birds, which usually mate for life, to find a new mate but it tends to be because one of the pair has died.

So when male swan Sarindi turned up in the annual migration from Arctic Russia without his partner of two years Saruni and with a new female – newly-named Sarind – in tow, conservationists feared the worst for Saruni.

But shortly afterwards Saruni arrived at the wetlands site, also with a new mate, Surune.

And after observing them, the experts are confident the old relationship had ended and new ones had begun.

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Julia Newth, wildlife health research officer at Slimbridge, said the “bizarre” situation had taken staff by surprise.

She said swans tended to have “real loyalties to one another” and long partnerships.

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