Sadness, seething over swan killing in SFSAN FRANCISCO — There will be no swan song at the Palace of Fine Arts lagoon.
Caretakers mourning Saturday’s brutal killing of a swan that lived in the landmark pond are hell-bent on finding the murderer and looking for a new bird to be donated so that the last surviving swan isn’t lonely.
Mute swans, so called for their quiet demeanor, have waded at the Palace of Fine Arts since the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition. While they’ve added to the aesthetics of the scenic lagoon, they’ve been targeted several times by cruel visitors.
Sometime between 2 and 6 a.m. Saturday, someone broke the neck of the younger of two remaining swans, Hagerty said. Fellow caretaker Judy Whilt found the body of the 5-year-old bird, named Monday, floating in the lagoon. Empty beer cans were also spotted at the crime scene, she said.
That night, there was a “huge beer party” on the Baker Street side of the lagoon, Whilt said. San Francisco Animal Care & Control is investigating.
“They say most serial murderers abuse animals in their youth, so we might have one in the making,” an angry Whilt said.
The surviving swan is Monday’s sister, 13-year-old Blanche. The death hasn’t yet sunk in for the sibling, who is now enjoying more grub than usual, Whilt said. Their mother, a 19-year-old swan named Friday, went missing from the lagoon in April.
In the last 25 years, three swans have been killed. Six years ago, there were as many as 13 swans in the lagoon, though most were given away, partly because it can become expensive to care for them, Hagerty said.
Caretakers pay out of pocket to offer daily monitoring and nourishment for the swans, Hagerty said.
Finding a companion for Blanche will not be easy. Recent laws prohibiting sales of swans will mean one must be donated, Hagerty said.
“I talked to the breeder and he has none,” she said. “The breeder is looking to people he knows to have donated to us.”
The caretakers are offering a $500 reward for information leading to a conviction in the Saturday swan murder case. That reward is expected to grow, as locals have expressed interest in donating funds, Hagerty said.
Marina district residents are “dumbfounded” by the killing, Whilt said.
The swan caretakers said they hope the death will encourage a larger police presence at the Palace of Fine Arts, particularly at night when much of the area becomes pitch black, Whilt said.
Lagoon’s grand dame may have been foundA swan that disappeared in April from the lagoon at the Palace of Fine Arts may have been found, caretaker Gayle Hagerty said Tuesday.
“I have a lead on her,” Hagerty exclaimed.
The bird, named Friday, may have been stolen, Hagerty said. Friday was the mother of 5-year-old Monday, who was killed at the lagoon on Saturday.
“She was my queen,” said Hagerty of the 19-year-old Friday, whom she had cared for since the bird was 2 years old.
About six months ago, San Francisco Animal Care & Control found a mute swan, the same type of swan as Friday, in the backyard of an undisclosed residence in San Francisco’s avenues, Hagerty said. It is not yet known whether the swan was Friday.
After the find, Animal Care & Control did not contact the Palace of Fine Arts swan caretakers. The agency found a new home for the swan, caretaker Judy Whilt said.
“If it’s happy where it is, we will leave it,” Whilt said.
Sole survivor: Gail Hagerty, one of the caretakers of the swans at the Palace of Fine Arts pond, feeds Blanche, the last remaining swan, whose sister was killed last week.
