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Springfield woman and 2 young daughters suffer minor injuries when attacked by swans at Heritage Park in East Longmeadow

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Police said the swans have been particularly aggressive towards people this spring.

swanss.JPG Swans swim across the pond at Heritage Park in East Longmeadow in this file photo taken last Odtober.

EAST LONGMEADOW - A Springfield woman and her two young daughters suffered minor injuries late Tuesday morning when they were attacked by a pair of swans at Heritage Park.

The incident began about 11 a.m. when the woman and her 3-year-old twins walked to the shore of the park’s pond, Police Sgt. Patrick Manley said.

“The lady said that the swans came from across the pond to where they were and started attacking her children,” Manley said. “It appears they were drawn by the children, whether it was their size, their demeanor, their clothing, I don’t know.”

The woman, trying to protect her girls, stood in front of the swans and suffered two skin-puncturing bites, near her ribs, Manley said.

“She said she was frantically trying to protect her children from the swans and that they went right at the children,” Manley said.

One of the little girls suffered a black eye and a bruised knee and the other suffered a bruised shoulder and a scratch on her neck, Manley said.

The sergeant said he has heard anecdotal reports that the swans have been particularly aggressive this spring. “I would caution people to be careful,” he said. “They are wild animals.”

Manley theorized that the swans may be nesting, and therefore, especially territorial this time of year.

There are signs posted at the park that prohibit the feeding of wildlife there, Manly said, adding that he did not know if the women and her children had doing so in this case.


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