Thilidas
08-07-2007, 05:26 AM
Original Here. (http://news.sky.com/skynews/ar...739,00.html)
A widowed swan has done what many lonely hearts do and turned to the internet to find love.
Rex the black-necked swan is mourning the loss of his "wife" Rexanne, who was killed by a fox.
So in a bid to ease the swan's pain, staff at his home at the Trevano Garden near Helston, Cornwall, hit the web to find Rex a new partner.
The staff set up the Rex The Black-necked Swan Is Looking For Love group on the social networking site Facebook.
They also commissioned a cartoon to publicise Rex's search for love.
Trevano Garden spokesman Richard Cox said while the Facebook entry started "as a little bit of a joke", finding Rex a partner was a serious issue.
"Rex came to us with his wife Rexanne but sadly she was taken by a fox," he said.
"Finding another partner for Rex has proven a bit difficult because, of course, black-necked swans don't come flying in.
"We've tried dealers but they tend to be available in pairs".
Mr Cox said while Rex was "king of the lake", he struggled for some time with his partner's death.
"He's fine now, but in early April, May, he was very frustrated, not aggressive to visitors but it was upsetting for everyone to watch him not being able to do what comes naturally."
Rex's Facebook entry has so far failed to find the swan his perfect match.
"To be honest, I'm not sure how many black-necked swans would be aware of Facebook ... they'd be very clever and people would pay a lot of money for them," Mr Cox joked.
But he added: "He's a young boy, obviously he'd like to move on in life. Let's hope Rex finds love."
Summary: Swan's wife gets mauled by fox. They're looking for a new mate on Facebook.
Thought it would make for a half-assed thread.
A widowed swan has done what many lonely hearts do and turned to the internet to find love.
Rex the black-necked swan is mourning the loss of his "wife" Rexanne, who was killed by a fox.
So in a bid to ease the swan's pain, staff at his home at the Trevano Garden near Helston, Cornwall, hit the web to find Rex a new partner.
The staff set up the Rex The Black-necked Swan Is Looking For Love group on the social networking site Facebook.
They also commissioned a cartoon to publicise Rex's search for love.
Trevano Garden spokesman Richard Cox said while the Facebook entry started "as a little bit of a joke", finding Rex a partner was a serious issue.
"Rex came to us with his wife Rexanne but sadly she was taken by a fox," he said.
"Finding another partner for Rex has proven a bit difficult because, of course, black-necked swans don't come flying in.
"We've tried dealers but they tend to be available in pairs".
Mr Cox said while Rex was "king of the lake", he struggled for some time with his partner's death.
"He's fine now, but in early April, May, he was very frustrated, not aggressive to visitors but it was upsetting for everyone to watch him not being able to do what comes naturally."
Rex's Facebook entry has so far failed to find the swan his perfect match.
"To be honest, I'm not sure how many black-necked swans would be aware of Facebook ... they'd be very clever and people would pay a lot of money for them," Mr Cox joked.
But he added: "He's a young boy, obviously he'd like to move on in life. Let's hope Rex finds love."
Summary: Swan's wife gets mauled by fox. They're looking for a new mate on Facebook.
Thought it would make for a half-assed thread.