Swan couple remain apart after River Lea oil spill

Lovebirds: the swans before one of them was rescued. Photograph: Barbara Kates

A pair of swans separated by the River Lea oil spill are yet to be reunited, a wildlife charity has confirmed.

The lifelong mates were stranded at their breeding spot under a bridge in Clapton when the spill started last month.

The female was rescued by the RSPCA on 22 February, and she is now being looked after by The Swan Sanctuary, a wildlife charity based in Surrey.

Gill Walker, one of the charity’s volunteers, confirmed yesterday that the male swan is still at large.

She said: “I’ve been back to the bridge a number of times to look for him, but he’s not there. I suspect he’s gone off to look for his mate.”

Walker said the sanctuary was initially reluctant to rescue the pair because they were not covered in oil, and removing them from their breeding ground may have caused them more distress.

She added: “The RSPCA then picked up the female and took her to hospital, before we brought her to the sanctuary.”

Walker said the bird will be returned to the bridge in three weeks’ time. She is hopeful the mates will be reunited when the male comes back to check the area.

The spill is being investigated by government body The Environment Agency, but Walker called on Whitehall to do more to deal with this “major event” after revealing the clean-up is being led entirely by volunteers.