Despite being known for their graceful elegance, swans have a turbulent history. “Early settlers drained many natural wetlands needed for survival, and trumpeter swans were almost completely gone from Ohio by the 1900s,” says Jon Cepek, a Cleveland Metroparks wildlife ecologist.
Regulations like the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Cleveland Water Act and incubation efforts through the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo created safer environments.
“From 1996-1998, the Ohio Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program collected eggs from Alaska and flew them almost 4,000 miles back to Ohio for incubation,” says Tiffany Mayo, the trumpeter swan species survival plan coordinator for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
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Incubators mimicked an adult swan’s body temperature and humidity. After hatching, the cygnets were released into Ohio marshes, and now, more than 800 trumpeter swans live in the state. Success has only continued, with a 2022 sighting of the first natural nest in the county, seen in the Cleveland Metroparks.
“This was a pivotal moment in Ohio’s swan restoration story, and a testament to the importance of Cleveland Metroparks in providing critical habitats for local species,” says Mayo.
In April 2024, another victory: The trumpeter swan was finally removed from Ohio’s threatened species list.
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