ASBO swan finds ‘wife-to-be’ in new Devon home

A black swan which was removed from a historic town after spending nine months terrorising other birds and tourists has already found his “wife-to-be” at a new home.

Reggie, nicknamed The Terminator in Stratford, was moved from Stratford-upon-Avon to Dawlish, Devon.

Donald Phillips, from the Dawlish Waterfowl Centre, said Reggie had “settled in very well” and had already found a mate.

He explained: “I’d put him into the enclosure with two females and he just walked up to them and they sort of followed him around and there was no aggression at all … he was just as good as gold.”

Mr Phillips said he believed Reggie had been behaving badly in Stratford because he was “very frustrated” and the attention he was getting was just “making him more that way inclined … a bit aggressive”.

“I had two females ready for him when he came down … I selected one of the females and I moved him on to a farm where they’ve got a big lake and ducks and he settled in very well. I think he’s picked his swan, his wife-to-be.”