ORLANDO, Fla. — The city of Orlando has decided to pause the Lake Eola Swan program and move its captive swans to other locations outside the downtown area, it announced Friday.
The decision came after many swans in the Lake Eola flock died after an avian influenza outbreak and ahead of plans to begin construction in the area to help implement the Lake Eola Park master plan, the city said in a statement.
After the swan deaths, the city consulted with state and federal partners, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, about the requirements for the care and management of its captive swans.
“Through this review, it became clear that consistently meeting those requirements within an active urban park, especially one preparing for major construction, will be increasingly difficult,” the city’s statement said.
The swans will be moved, beginning with this year’s cygnets, their parents, and the eggs and parent swans currently nesting, the city said.
Moving them now will reduce stress and risk for the swans during the extended construction period in the park and “will help ensure their ongoing care in environments that can fully meet required standards,” the city’s statement said.
“The well-being of the swans remains our highest priority,” the city’s statement said. “While it is difficult to see them leave Lake Eola Park, pausing the program and responsibly re-homing the flock is the most compassionate and responsible step forward for their long-term health.”
Once the city’s captive swans are relocated, wild swans and other waterfowl might still be located in the area around Lake Eola Park, but those are free-range birds and not part of the city’s captive flock, the city said.