Same-Sex Mate Mourns Last Royal Swan

Ottawa Citizen ^ | June 12, 2003 | Zev Singer

[Loyalist]

A bird that was a national symbol, the last living royal swan of the dozen donated by the Queen in 1967, was not just royal. He was a queen.

Patch, a one-eyed white swan, was found dead yesterday near the prime minister's residence.

The caretakers of Ottawa's royal swans say that when they look for a new partner for Patch's long-time male mate, Buddy, they will try to accommodate his gender preference.

"It happens in the wild from time to time," Christine Hartig, the city employee in charge of the swans, said of the male pairing.

Patch and Buddy stuck together in their own little section of the Rideau River and shared a pen in the specially constructed wintering facilities created for the royal swans.

"They've been together for years," Ms. Hartig said. "We never dreamed of separating them."

During Canada's centennial year, the Queen presented 12 white swans to the city. Individual records were not kept for the swans until 1987, but Patch was the last one thought to be among the originals. The 19 swans now remaining are descendants.

The bird was found yesterday morning at the edge of the Ottawa River, near the mouth of the Rideau, at the base of the cliff behind the prime minister's residence. An autopsy will be done, but so far fowl play is not suspected.

The large swan got his name 10 years ago after he lost an eye and needed extensive medical attention, including surgery. He was the only royal swan with a name until they began referring to his mate as his "buddy" -- long enough for it to stick.

The two swans could be seen grooming each other and engaging in the customary swan mating rituals. "They face each other and move their heads back and forth in unison and make little vocalizations," Ms. Hartig said.

She said the gender preference of Patch and Buddy was never something her team talked about much.

She said the swan program is not a breeding program, beyond sustaining the group's population. "If it was a gay couple, so what? The purpose was not to reproduce," she said.

The purpose of the program is to "keep them healthy and happy," she said. The birds are considered "decorative water fowl."

Now that Patch is gone, she said Buddy will probably need a new mate.

Ms. Hartig said she wasn't sure whether Buddy would be insistent in his gender preference, but saw no reason to try to match him with a female.

"If I can find him a male, I will," she said.

© Copyright 2003 The Ottawa Citizen

[Loyalist]

I'm speechless. Just...speechless.

[egarvue]

Sheesh, the gays are really running Canada now; every frickin' story out of Canada is about homosexuality these days...

[wideawake]

Ah . . . la vice anglais . . .

[Jonah Hex]

There's a really good joke in here somewhere, and I'm not talented enough to find it.

Silly goose.

[Zavien Doombringer]

[hellinahandcart]

The two swans could be seen grooming each other and engaging in the customary swan mating rituals. "They face each other and move their heads back and forth in unison and make little vocalizations," Ms. Hartig said.

That ain't what makes little swans, Mz. Hartig.

So do us all a favor and just assume they were only good friends.

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

Spoken with my best Barbra Streisand/Fanny Brice imitation voice: "Schvan Lake?"

[Snowyman]

The bird was found yesterday morning at the edge of the Ottawa River, near the mouth of the Rideau, at the base of the cliff, behind the prime minister's residence

So did the Crouton push him? Or did he jump?

Maybe Chretien thought he looked like Martin.

[DonQ]

In England (and maybe Canada), swans are regarded as "birds royal" and all of them automatically belong to the monarch; it is forbidden for any one else to hunt them, keep one as a pet, make use of the feathers, etc.

[Zavien Doombringer]

what kills me is, how in the heck do they know what sexual preference this swan was, if they had a female swan in the area, these to male swans wouldn't be freinds long!!!

[IncPen]

Individual records were not kept for the swans until 1987, but Patch was the last one thought to be among the originals.

In other words, this may be a common swan, unblessed by royalty, but let's not let the facts get in the way of advancing the homosexual agenda, right?

[DoughtyOne]

I guess these swans couldn't have been just friends. They mention mating rituals but not consumation. I guess every male who has hugged another male is now a homosexual according to them.

This article could have been written by a person who simply wanted to show that the one swan left would miss his companion. No, it had to be turned into a homosexual love story.

The perverted mind rules the day.

[KnutCase]

"...but so far fowl play is not suspected."

If there was "fowl play" could AIDS have been the cause of death?

[Houmatt]

This article could have been written by a person who simply wanted to show that the one swan left would miss his companion. No, it had to be turned into a homosexual love story.

Yes, this story was intentionally written to make it look like there are homosexual swans. It makes no mention of whether or not a female was ever placed with them, and believe me, that was not an oversight.

[Zavien Doombringer]

[RJL]

Individual records were not kept for the swans until 1987, but Patch was the last one thought to be among the originals.

In other words, this may be a common swan, unblessed by royalty, but let's not let the facts get in the way of advancing the homosexual agenda, right?

My thoughts exactly, you nailed it.

[buffyt]

HA HA HA HA GOOD ONE HA HA HA

I was just SPEECHLESS reading this one!

Sounds like these two were buddies, roommates, and in need of a WOMAN swan!!!!!!! Get him a woman, NOT another guy!

Duh..........

[CaptRon]

The 19 swans now remaining are descendants.

Not, however, Patch's descendants...

[DoughtyOne]

Ooooooooo... heh heh.

[DoughtyOne]

Agreed.

[Hegemony Cricket]

Do you know why gay people (and presumably animals as well) never go on strike?














Because their union has no issue! :-)

[Lorianne]

I'm totally opposed to this. I mean Patch was royalty and Buddy was obviously a commoner. What is the world coming to? What about tradition?

[Billthedrill]

Well, I'm a bit relieved - about halfway through the article they clarified that "Buddy" was, in fact, another swan...

[secret garden]

Actually they weren't mates. Because they could not mate. Buddies, sure, but not mates.

[babble-on]

A tale of Oxford:

There was a young man from St John's
Who wanted to bugger the swans,
'Oh no,' said the porter,
'Here, please take my daughter.
The swans are reserved for the dons!'