In Bolton, Greater Manchester, unborn cygnets were killed last month when vandals used bricks and rocks to smash up the nest.
Yobs were seen hurling bricks and rocks along Manchester Canal in Kearsley on May 20 said the witnesses. Three of the six eggs were smashed.
The male swan left the nest about two weeks ago and hasn’t been seen since then. The animal activists believe he was driven away by anxiety.
The reports say that the mother was found dead earlier this week not long after the father disappeared, having apparently been driven away by grief.
According to the Swan Sanctuary, if a mate disappears or dies the surviving mate will go through a grieving process as humans do, and then remain where it is, find a new stretch of water to live, or fly off and join a flock.
But this time the case was different when the female swan was found dead in the nest where her eggs were smashed.
She probably died of heartache as she had a partner for life and he was driven away by stress.
An RSPCA spokesman said, “This is a really sad development and it is very upsetting to hear about the death of this poor swan. We are investigating the previous distressing incident and we would urge anyone with information to contact our appeals line on 0300 123 8018.”
