Village of Manlius, NY — The four growing cygnets living at the Manlius Swan Pond are swimming around on a state-issued permit that comes with an Aug. 31 deadline.
That’s when the village is supposed to make a decision: Either have the swans sterilized or keep two of the same sex, so they can’t reproduce.
It’s a choice the village mayor says he thinks is unfair, and he met with officials from the state’s Department of Environmental Conversation in April to make that point. He agreed to sterilize future babies, but he wants to keep two adult swans on the pond in hopes they will breed.
Manlius Mayor Paul Whorrall said the state DEC told him at that meeting that they would discuss it and get back to him.
The DEC confirmed the meeting with syracuse.com | The Post-Standard and said it’s continuing to communicate with the village about the swans’ future.
Yet that April meeting was the last time Whorrall says he heard from the DEC. So he’s not planning on making any changes, even after the deadline passes.
“We made concessions, and agreed to the stipulations they wanted when they renewed our permit‚” he said. “I’ve asked the village board their thoughts three times, and they all say ‘we are sticking to our guns.’”
The state is trying to reduce the population of mute swans, which are invasive, compete with native waterfowl, destroy plants and can be aggressive. The village had been the only community in the state permitted to keep mute swans and allow them to breed.
The status of that special permission changed when a group of teens took the baby swans and killed and ate Faye, a female swan, over Memorial Day weekend in 2023.
That left her mate, Manny, and the four cygnets, who were quickly returned to Manlius. Manny grew aggressive with his offspring and was removed. The remaining cygnets (two girls, Faith and Fayette, and two boys, Noa and Liu) needed the state’s approval to stay.
Last year, the state said it would prefer the swans not breed, but said if that does happen, the village had to guarantee the babies would be sterilized before being moved out of state. That was an idea the village would accept, Whorrall said.
But in February, the DEC gave the village a sterner message: The village could keep their four beloved swans - as long as they aren’t permitted to reproduce.
Whorrall vowed to fight the directive. He added the village has put together an educational exhibit on mute swans, as the DEC requested.
When asked this month what the next step is, a DEC spokesperson said the agency will communicate that to the village.
As of Monday, the mayor said he had still not heard from the DEC.
The DEC has said the village could have trumpeter swans. But, Whorrall says, that would break with the village’s longstanding tradition of keeping mute swans, which have become a symbol in Manlius.
Whorrall said it’s unfair to punish the village because a group of kids jumped the fence and took their swans.
“Our swans don’t leave the pond, unless someone kills them,” Whorrall said. “They are not hurting anybody.”
Sen. John Mannion, D-Geddes, was at the April meeting. He has said he agrees with Whorrall, that the swans should stay and are an integral part of the village. Mannion had previously asked the DEC to be clear with the village and his office in coming to a fair agreement.
At that meeting, Whorrall said, the DEC asked if the village would take the swan fight to court.
The mayor let the DEC know he was leaving that door open, he said.
Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com
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