WESTLAKE, Ohio — The cold weather is hitting everyone hard lately, including animals.
Westlake Police say, the city's animal control came across a Tundra Swan Thursday in the area of Downing Street.
Animal Control Officer Wang noticed the animal was in distress and took the swan to the Lake Erie Nature Science Center. That is where the swan will undergo special treatment to bring it back to full health before it's released back into the wild.
The Westlake Police Department used this opportunity to remind its residents to check in on their family, friends and neighbors, saying the harsh winter we've been having paired with the pandemic can leave people feeling isolated. Reaching out can help alleviate those feelings, and it can also help avoid potentially dangerous situations.
According to the Audubon Society, Tundra Swans are not very common in northeast Ohio, but you can sometimes see them near Lake Erie during the winter. Tundra Swans do travel across extreme northern Ohio as they migrate. Their typical habitat is the northernmost part of Canada, always near the water, and their migratory routes take them across much of that country. Tundra Swans also travel through parts of the northern U.S., and parts of California as they migrate.
Tundra swans can be quite large. National Geographic says their bodies are between 3.9 to 4.8 feet, and they have a wingspan of 5.5 feet. They can weigh anywhere between eight and 23 pounds, depending on the subspecies. Tundra Swans are not an endangered or threatened species.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The video in the player below was originally posted on May 17, 2018.
