This swan died of a 'broken heart' after teenagers crushed her eggs to pieces

Sometimes people can do the most cruel and unnecessary things to animals, and that single action can change the course of its life. That's what happened to this poor mother swan.

In 2010, the tragic story of how this swan lost her partner and her cygnets in a span of just a couple weeks broke the hearts of people all over. Here's what happened.

Wreckless behaviour

The swan had built a big and beautiful nest along the bank of the Manchester Canal in Bolton where she laid six eggs in hopes of starting a family. As the Manchester Evening News reported, a group of teenage boys proceeded to then ruin the swan's life by throwing bricks at the nest, destroying half of her eggs.

Not long before this incident, the mother swan's male partner had also run away, apparently because of stress.

Wildlife activists and local residents of the area were monitoring the swan's nest, hoping that the rest of her little flock would survive but that was not the case.

Days after the first incident, two more of the eggs were lost, leaving only one little survivor.

Read more: This woman lost her vision after getting scratched by her cat: 'Never trust even the sweetest animal'

Tragic end

Tragically, days after that, the female swan was found dead in her nest and activists can only place blame on a broken heart.

Wildlife activist Sam Woodrow told the Manchester Evening News:

There's not much I can say really. She probably died of a broken heart as she had a partner for life and he was driven away by stress.

Another activist Michael Mason wrote a moving post on the All About Bolton Facebook group:

I have tried to keep you updated on this swan who laid six eggs, three were destroyed by youths, she has then been harassed by dogs jumping in and harassed by a duck and moor hen and two more eggs were lost leaving her with one egg.

He continued:

Her mate left her on her own and sadly I was informed this morning she was found slumped in her nest dead. Just feel like crying as I have followed her progress for about 12 weeks.

Swans are precious to the UK and are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

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Sources used:

Mail Online: Swan 'dies from a broken heart' after teenage yobs killed her unborn cygnets when they smashed her eggs with bricks

Manchester Evening News: Swan whose nest was smashed up by vandals with bricks 'dies from a broken heart'