Last week, Jennifer Radwan was walking through a forest preserve in Channahon, Illinois. Lost in thought, she looked up to see a striking scene.
Two mute swans were intertwined, performing a courtship dance in the water.
Jennifer Radwan
Radwan, who counts photography as a hobby, took out a camera and began snapping photos.
“I’ve photographed the swans at this location many times,” Radwan told The Dodo, “but this was [the] first time seeing and photographing their rituals.”
Jennifer Radwan
During a courtship dance, mute swans will glide together, sit in the water face-to-face and bow, according to Avon Wildlife Trust. Their necks wrap around each other, and sometimes there’s hissing, but it’s all in the name of undying devotion.
Jennifer Radwan
“Once courtship is complete, male and female swans really are bonded for life, with few exceptions,” Avon Wildlife Trust writes.
Mute swans typically find their mates by the time they turn 2 years old, and create their first nest together within the next year or so, according to the National Audubon Society. Both parents then raise their babies, or cygnets, as a loving family unit.
Jennifer Radwan
After Radwan watched the ritual for about 30 minutes, she left and posted some pictures of the gorgeous birds in the Will County Wildlife Facebook group.
People couldn’t get enough of the moving images.
Thousands of users have since reacted to the photos, a sign that the swans’ genuine, unfiltered affection for each other might be exactly what people need to see right now.
“That is something amazing to see,” one comment reads. “Thank you for sharing.”
Jennifer Radwan
The reason Radwan was there to witness the ritual was that that morning, she had said goodbye to her loyal dog, Diego, after 18 years together.
Radwan’s beloved dog, Diego. | Jennifer Radwan
“It devastated me,” she said. “My husband recommended going out for a walk with my camera to clear my head. He knows it calms me. Especially being near water. Right when I arrived, they were intertwined in this beautiful courtship.”
Jennifer Radwan
As Radwan left her house, she said something drew her to that spot, near Four Rivers Environmental Education Center on the Desplaines River.
“I was truly amazed,” she said. “I believe I was meant to go there.”
In a separate Facebook post about the swans, Radwan wrote, “It was just what I needed. Nature always helps soothe the soul.”
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