(NewsReady.com) – The Village of Manlius, in upstate New York, is well-known for its swans Faye and Manny. The town looked forward to seeing the babies the two made together every year. Sadly, the two will never have the chance to do it again.
The Manlius Police Department announced that at the end of May, three teenagers captured Faye in the middle of the night, killed her, and then ate her. The teens jumped over a fence that surrounded Goose Lake Park. Faye was nesting near Swan Pond when the teens held her down and murdered her. They also stole four baby swans but did not touch Manny, Faye’s mate of more than a decade.
The teens ate Faye with their friends and family.
Law enforcement received tips about the location of the baby swans and was able to save them. Two of the teens were minors, so police have not identified them but charged the pair with criminal trespassing and misdemeanor conspiracy of theft. Eman Hussen, an 18-year-old, was charged with felony grand larceny and felony criminal mischief.
According to The Swan Sanctuary, swans mate for life. When one of the birds loses its mate, it goes through a grieving process similar to the ones humans go through when they lose their significant others. When they complete the grieving process, they might choose to leave the pond they once shared with their mate to either meet a new one or live alone for its remaining days.
The New York Times reported Mayor Paul Whorrall said swans had belonged to the village “forever.” He explained that people who drive through the town will see “swan emblems and signs and banners everywhere.”
Sgt. Ken Hatter said that the teens didn’t understand how important the swans were to the village’s residents. Once they knew, they “reflected on that and realized that it was wrong.”
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