Man Builds Raft to Save Swan's Eggs After Decade of Watching Her Lose Them to Foxes and Floods

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Rob Adamson from the town of St. Ives in Cambridgeshire, 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿England, has become known in the area as “the swan man” — and for good reason. He’s become something of a guardian to the local waterfowl, keeping an eye out for them over the years.

He’s worked at Jones Boatyard for a decade, and also lives in a boat on the water, giving him a special appreciation for the flora and fauna he shares the water with.

The 42-year-old has noted one pair of swans, in particular, who have had a really rough go of things. Over the years he has watched them try — and fail — to hatch out and raise their babies.

Whether the eggs were eaten by foxes or swept away by floods, year after year, this particular pair has had little success.

So when floodwaters started rising one evening last May, Adamson’s thoughts turned to the swans and their most recent clutch. Sure enough, when he arrived — in the dark — to check on them, the water was rising dangerously high.

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“She is the unluckiest swan; I needed to make sure they survived,” he told the BBC