Three fluffy white trumpeter swan cyngets were born June 9th at the Lincoln Park Zoo. They will be released into the wild this fall as part of a reintroduction program. Believe it or not, trumpeter swans were hunted to near extinction at the turn of the 20th Century.
No Ugly Ducklings Here! Trumpeter Swans Hatch at Lincoln Park Zoo;
Swans slated to be released into the wild later this year
CHICAGO, IL (June 19, 2009) – No ugly ducklings here! Three adorable trumpeter swan cygnets that hatched at Lincoln Park Zoo on June 9, 2009 have a significant future ahead – they are slated to be released into the wild this fall as part of the trumpeter swan reintroduction and recovery program. To date, Lincoln Park Zoo has released 34 swans into the wild – all of them the offspring of this same adult pair.
Trumpeter swans were hunted to near extinction by the turn of the twentieth century. The zoo has been actively involved in their recovery efforts for more than a decade.
In 2006, a swan that hatched at Lincoln Park Zoo became one of the first to nest in Illinois in more than 100 years.
Trumpeter swans are the largest American waterfowl. Once they have paired with a mate the swans remain together for life. They begin breeding after only three or four years of age. Their offspring, known as cygnets, will stay with their parents for up to four months before venturing off on their own. The sexes of the zoo’s cygnets have not yet been identified.