Pair of black swans spotted in Hong Kong, and experts think they could have escaped from Chinese zoo
- City’s bird watchers delighted by rare appearance of swans in Victoria Harbour
- Animal welfare group says pair appear to be healthy but are scared of people
A pair of black swans have been spotted in Victoria Harbour over the past few weeks, stunning passers-by and prompting one of them to capture the birds’ movements with a drone.
The swans, which were first seen at a pier in Yau Ma Tei in early February and last in the sea off Quarry Bay on Friday, could be from a zoo in southern China, or may have escaped from a private collection, according to a bird expert.
Josephine Ma, a Post journalist was astounded when she found the black swans swimming in the sea while walking along the promenade by Quarry Bay Park at around 7pm on Friday.
“I could tell they were swans by their long necks. They were really big birds,” said Ma, “I’ve never seen swans in the sea, let alone swimming in Victoria Harbour.”
Ma, and a group of around a dozen spectators gathered to take pictures and discuss how the birds ended up there for about half an hour, as the swans tried to find a place near the shore to land.