Beloved swan with a ‘big character’ sadly ‘killed by dog’ at country park

Dog owners are being urged to keep their pets on a lead after a swan much loved by the local community died after being attacked at a Stockport country park.

Eric, a nineteen year old cob swan with a ‘big character’, was rushed to a local RSPCA hospital after suffering from an infection in the wounds caused by the dog attack.

The swan resided in the Keg pool in Etherow Country Park, Romiley, and had become well known and loved among locals.

Tameside’s People 4 Wildlife / Facebook

He had fathered a number of cygnets with three mates over the years, including seven born last year.

Remarkably, Eric had already survived a different dog attack last year but, sadly, he couldn’t overcome his injuries the second time around.

Wendy Robinson, a volunteer at Tameside People 4 Wildlife, was the one to find Eric suffering on Sunday, July 4th after receiving a call from a concerned member of the public.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Wendy explained: “Eric was a big character. You don’t get any visiting swans at the Keg, so everybody knew him. He would feed out of your hand. It’s just a huge shame.

Bob Abell / Wikimedia Commons

“He was nineteen so he possibly would not have lasted much longer, but to have been bitten by a dog like that is just heart-breaking.”

Although the attack on Eric was not reported by eyewitnesses, Wendy believes it was caused by a dog because of the type of wounding that was left on the swan.

She explained: “We believe it was a dog that bit him, because a fox or a mink would have gone to kill him, whereas this had bitten Eric underneath his wings.

Tameside’s People 4 Wildlife / Facebook

“It was horrible. The RSPCA took him to Stapeley Grange wildlife centre, but you could already smell it – he was full of infections.”

As it stands, there are currently no signs instructing dog owners to keep their pets on a lead at the park, but Wendy wants to see more direct orders.

She is also now looking into starting a campaign to make it a legal obligation to keep dogs on leads in areas with an abundance of wildlife.