On The Wild Side: A beautiful reunion celebrated around the world

By ANN BROKELMAN

As many of your readers could probably guess, I’ve been a wildlife enthusiast my entire life. I grew up in North Bay, spending countless hours camping, boating, and hiking; I was even a Junior Ranger leader for a while.

Since moving to the big city, it’s certainly been harder to get out into the woods, though we took our kids camping year after year when they were little. I still enjoy going for walks and making regular trips to places like Algonquin Park (though I prefer to stay in cabins, instead of tents, these days).

I’d always hoped, though never expected, that one day one of my photos might end up being celebrated like the ones in National Geographic. While I’ve had my photos appear in newspapers like this one, online on various websites, in nature books, flyer, posters and more I knew it was quite unlikely that I’d ever take a picture that would be a part of an international/viral moment.

Amazingly, my day came on April 4, 2024.

A few days earlier, someone reached out to me that they’d seen a trumpeter swan, down by the lake, with what they thought were blood spots on its back feathers. I drove over, carrying my trusty lens as usual, and parked myself on a rock with a good view of the area.

Two swans, who the world would later know as Mango (Y37) and Charlotte (717), were together on the small sandy beach below me. I took a few photos of them, watching them preen, but saw nothing concerning. After an uneventful hour, and seeing no other swans in the area, I was ready to pack up, head home, and pass on the message that everything was OK.

Just as I was leaving, I looked back one final time, and, to my surprise, Mango had blood dripping from his mouth and several of his beautiful feathers were now more crimson than white. I had just looked at him barely two minutes earlier and he had been fine.

I immediately called the Toronto Wildlife Centre (TWC) and sent them one of the photos. I guess they also thought it looked rough because they said they’d be on the road ASAP. My next calls were to Peg Everall, a volunteer I’d worked with in the past, to see if they could help.

Within 30 minutes everyone had arrived, and if you’ve never seen Andrew and Sarrah in action, let me tell you: they are incredibly good at what they do. It only took them minutes to come up with a plan, put it into action, and safely have Mango on his way to TWC.

I heard, a day later, that the poor swan had a cut on his beak and the resulting blood actually caused some waterproofing issues. Luckily, neither problem was difficult to work with, and he would only need to stay with TWC for a few days to get back to normal.

The ‘ready for release’ call came on April 4. I picked up Mango, drove back to the waterfront, and honestly wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary. However, if you’re one of the millions of people who’ve seen Deborah Tait’s or Shona Farrelly’s videos, or one of my photos, you know what happened next. (As I’m writing this, the Toronto Star article video has had more than three million views alone).

As we let Mango go, we were so focused on making sure that he was OK that we didn’t realize his mate Charlotte was nearby, resting on the shore. None of us, Art, Shona, Deborah, nor I, could have predicted the reunion of these two magnificent birds.

A few seconds after Mango walked out of his carrier, stretching his wings and neck, Charlotte stood up.

They both spread their wings into a similar position, still at a distance, as if trying to see if the other was who they thought they were. Moments later the honking began, Charlotte starting running/flying over, and Mango did the same towards her.

A near synchronized dance of wings, neck bobs, honks, steps, and tail feather wiggles would only have been more perfect in slow motion and with a romantic soundtrack to accompany the moment. All of us were smiling, laughing, and a few tears were shed.

Mango and Charlotte walk away together after they were reunited. Photo by Ann Brokelman.

If you haven’t seen the video, please take a few moments to watch, but be warned: you may tear up as well. Swans mate for life, and I can only imagine what Charlotte must have been thinking when her Mango disappeared. Whatever thoughts and emotions swans are capable of, we got to witness them that day when the two found each other again.

This was, by far, the most amazing release I’ve ever seen.

I can’t properly describe how overwhelming it is to see my photos on the news, knowing they’ve been viewed by so many people around the world. I know Shona Farrelly and Deborah Tait are similarly overwhelmed by the global interest in their videos. Mostly, I’m just grateful to have been part of a moment that has brought joy to so many people around the world.

Finally, I’ve been a volunteer for TWC staff for years now, and I want everyone to ‘hear’ me say: Thank you so much, TWC! This story would not have been the same without your amazing team of rescue, rehab, veterinary, and other support staff. Andrew and Sarrah Rescue Team you are the best.

Please consider donating to their organization, as well as the many other rescue organizations around, to keep their groups able to do these incredible rescues.