Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/12/21/giant-swan-shows-dog-who-is-bo.html
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I was thrilled to discover that the first video was filmed by someone who actually understands how to hold their phone when shooting video.
And then disappointed when the second video proved to be yet another person holding their phone wrong.
As to the videos themselves, someone must be feeding that swan valium, or else it’s got a bad case of the flu, because it was way too easy going on that dog and its human. More behavior like that and it will get kicked right out of the Swan Bullying Club.
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it seems that i don’t know what the words ‘rare’ and ‘uncommon’ mean.
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No luck catching them swans then?
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it is better to care for animals, people disappoint
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Foxes and wolves are natural enemies for swans. Especially for their chicks. The adults are somewhat safe but still not completely. It’s the male swan’s (called a cob) duty to protect the nesting area from any predators and probably they see that kind of large dog as a threat. The swan seems to be a bit confused that the dog tried to run away but couldn’t do so.
The mute swan is a very large bird (3rd candidate for heaviest flying bird) but they usually tolerate humans. They are quite common here and they do nest near populated areas. I have met some mute swan families with tiny chicks and only got some hissing from the adult ones (the chicks aren’t afraid at all). But couple of years ago one guy in Estonia/Poland/Germany (I can’t remember where) got killed by a very aggressive swan that attacked a guy that had gone swimming near them. The bird probably didn’t recognize a swimming human as non threatening animal.
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It’s just the one swan, actually.
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Bah, that swan is just a bully, going after that poor pupper like that. If the horrid thing had lunged at my own pup, I’d probably feel very protective and give the swan a solid kick rather than risk my puppy losing an eye or something.
Wildlife and people don’t mix.
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I once got mugged by a swan for a package of cookies. No joke. It was the scariest animal encounter I ever had.
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Beat me to it man. Always thought they were pretty much the same thing too…
Beautiful swan, but not thrilled with the dog’s human keeping it in a stressful situation for her own amusement.
As for the condor, I know they’re carrion eaters, but damn if they aren’t magnificent.
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Mute swans are introduced in parks and other areas in the US for their decorative purposes, which gets crossed up sometimes by their territorial aggressiveness during nesting season, and then when the young move on to nest in wilder waterways and encounter people. There was also a death reported in the US a few years back where a swan knocked a man out of a kayak and kept him from swimming to safety and he drowned. As you say, they’re large, heavy, strong birds, and when they feel threatened, and their blood is charged with nesting hormones, they will go further than the (tbh beautiful; though of course I know how it all turns out) posturing seen in the video.
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My scariest moment is with a rottweiler, followed closely by an angry emu, but both ended well, thankfully. I’ve also been chased off by a turkey that was grunting and stomping on the ground with loud thuds.
Big birds do not play!
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Black swans are common in the parts of Australia to which they’re native (they’re also introduced for decorative purposes in areas around the world):
The condor chick (which could be begging for food from the human it’s attached to) is an Andean condor, the largest raptor in the world, and an iconic animal of South America:
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Great clip, I was kinda’ expecting this one…
I guess that just shows my ignorance of The Trashmen.
But how about this…
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Swans can break a human leg with their wings. That lady was an idiot to let a swan take a swing with it’s wings at her dog. She should’ve given it a swift kick, and if that didn’t do it then encouraged the dog to attack.
Beat me to it.
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That’s the kind of shit we mean when Black folks say ‘White Boy Wasted.’ That’s a whole other level of being wasted as all fuck.
*lolz +SMH
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