Family's daring rescue to save swan from busy road

An injured wild swan has been rescued by a family from beside a busy road in Leicester.

Leder, the mute swan is being nursed back to health at the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Hospital, in Kibworth, after she was found injured at the side of the road in the Hamilton area of the city.

Kerry Lawrence came across her after visiting a friend in Bushby on Boxing Day.

The 57-year-old nurse, from Stoney Stanton, said: “I was driving from a friend’s house in Bushby and heading for the motorway on my way to visit another good friend in Manchester.

“It was about midday and as I drove through Hamilton I saw this swan sat there on the pavement by a pedestrian crossing with traffic filing past.

“I turned around and went back and noticed its left wing was trailed out on the floor and it looked in some distress so I stopped the car and went to help.”

Kerry was helped by another good Samaritan who was crossing the road as she approached the stricken bird.

She said: “I think he said his name was Shaun Riley. I couldn’t have done it without him.

“Together, we got some blankets out of my car and tried to get close. She was flapping around and looked famished.

“I thought she could have been clipped by a car. I’d no idea how long she’d been there but I knew if we left her there so close to the road there was a good chance she could be hit by a car and killed.

“It was tricky as she was quite aggressive and tried to snap at me but we managed get one blanket underneath her and one around her body and carried her to my car.

“Fortunately, I have a bit of experience with swans as I used to live in Stratford-upon-Avon. I’ve rescued a few there but it was a bit easier because they have a dedicated swan warden.”

Kerry called ahead to her husband Dr Nick Lawrence, who is a GP at Westcotes Medical Centre, in Leicester, for him to contact the RSPCA.

She said: “We got her into the back of my car and I put a seat belt around her to keep her safe and I set off for home.

“She calmed down a bit and was quite alert and had her head poking up looking around.

“I got some funny looks and several double takes as I was driving along, especially passing Fosse Park.”

The RSPCA advised Kerry to take Leder to The Park vets practice, in Glenfield.

She said: “They checked her over and said there were no fractures but was quite weak.

“It was only then that I found out she was a young adult female swan.

“The vet said she could have been either clipped by a car and stunned, or hit an overhead power cable.

“Apparently, swans can sometimes mistake a wide road for a river.

“The vet gave me some bird food pellets and told me to give them to her with water.

“I decided to call her Leder because I have some friends coming to visit from Germany.

“If she was a boy it would have been Hosen.”

Leder spent the rest of Boxing Day and overnight eating, drinking and regaining her strength at the Lawrence household until she could be collected by a volunteer from the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Hospital.

Kerry said: “I was relieved she wasn’t seriously injured and she had some appetite. “Fortunately, our dog was away with Guide Dogs for the Blind so Leder had her bed.

“At first I put her in the garage but was worried about foxes so brought her into the kitchen.

“She just sat there quite contented as I did some baking ahead of my German guests’ arrival.

“She’s absolutely beautiful. The whole family, including my step daughters Rosie and Jessica, has fallen in love with her.”

Leder’s short but sweet stay ended on Boxing Day afternoon when she was collected by Steve Turner, a volunteer at the wildlife hospital.

Kerry said: “I was sad to see her go but happy that she was going to be cared for and will be able to return to the wild.

“Christmas is normally a sad time of the year for me.

“I had a son who died on Christmas Day in 2006 from a heart attack due to sudden arrhythmic death syndrome so it’s never usually a happy time.

“But saving Leder and getting to spend a bit of time with such a wonderful wild creature has made me very happy.

“She’s made our Christmas.”

Kerry said she will be keeping tabs on Leder’s progress through the animal hospital.

Steve said: “She’s the third swan we’ve had brought in over the last few days in similar circumstances.

"She’s going to need a few days to recuperate before we will release her back into the wild – probably at Eyebrook Reservoir because they have quite a few single swans who are less likely to fight to defend their territory.

“I think Kerry has done a wonderful job. Without her things could have ended very differently for Leder.”