“She was completely still” 😰
It’s not uncommon to spot stray car parts or construction debris on the side of the A1, one of the busiest roads in the UK. But last week, a few drivers got quite the surprise when they noticed a white object on the shoulder of the highway wasn’t just debris—it was a living, breathing creature.
Instead of ignoring the helpless being, some Good Samaritans decided to reach out to The Waterfowl Sanctuary (TWS), who immediately sprang into action. When rescuer Graham Porter arrived on the scene, he initially thought the white object was a sandbag among other construction materials. But after a second glance, he realized it was something much more unexpected.
“I saw the white sandbags and thought it was one of them, but after a double-take, I realized there was our friend,” TWS shared on Facebook. “She had been there for at least 1.5 hours, trapped due to the heavy rush-hour traffic.”
Upon closer inspection, Porter discovered the “sandbag” was actually a cygnet—an extremely young swan—who was alive but utterly terrified.
“She was completely still,” Porter recalled to The Dodo.
Though relieved to find the swan still breathing, Porter realized she was on the other side of a busy highway. Undeterred by the speeding cars, he waited for a break in traffic and dashed across the road, managing to hold the swan on the curb with his net while the next wave of vehicles sped past.
“Once I had a hold of her, I quickly checked her condition before rushing her back to my car,” TWS recounted.
After safely navigating the multi-lane highway and scooping her up, Porter made the perilous journey back. Thankfully, the swan seemed uninjured, though clearly shaken from her harrowing experience.
“I’m hoping she’s just sore from the rough landing and was too traumatized by the traffic to move,” TWS wrote.
At the sanctuary’s headquarters, a full medical checkup confirmed that the swan was in perfect health, though she needed some time to rest and recover from the ordeal. She was soon placed in the “Duckingham Palace” section of the sanctuary, where she’s been thriving ever since.
“She’s doing great and walking more each day,” said Porter, sharing how pleased the team is to have her safe and sound in their care.