March 29, 2008 Jilted swan returns to true love - a swan-shaped
pedal boat by Gulliver
A black swan dumped by her lover has been reunited with her
old flame - a giant pedal boat in the shape of a white swan
she had been pining for all winter.
Petra made headlines all around the world in 2006 when she
grew so fond of the plastic boat she could not bear to be
parted from it.
The romance between the odd couple blossomed after German
zoo officials in the town of Muenster released Petra on a
local lake next to the boat.
She became so besotted with her pedal boat love that she refused
to leave its side, even refusing to mingle with the other
swans.
The bizarre love affair attracted worldwide attention and
a busy tourism industry built up at the Aasee Lake where local
shops sold souvenirs of Petra and her pedalo lover.
Last winter Petra refused to fly to warmer climes so she and
the vessel were taken into Muenster zoo and housed in the
heated enclosure.
Over the past few months the rare Australian black swan struck
up a relationship with a real-life German white swan she met
at the zoo.
Zookeepers thought that she was all set when the pair started
building a nest together.
The real white swan, nicknamed Bruce, was besotted with Petra
and they were inseparable, according to zoo staff.
But that romance was short lived and went on the rocks last
weekend when Bruce ditched Petra for another. Her unfaithful
mate decided to fly off and seek the company of other black
swans.
Since then the heartbroken Petra has been swimming around
in an agitated state and zoo officials had to do something
to calm her down.
This weekend zookeepers decided to reunite her with her beloved
boat, which had been returned to its owner only last week.
They are hoping Petra's return to the lake that she shared
with the boat for nearly two years will boost up the lovesick
bird's spirits.
When they took her away from the boat, she seemed to lose
her way, they said. Now that she is reunited with her "old
love" they hope she will soon feel better again and regain
her sense of security.
