Straggler swan reaches central China by train

A straggler migratory swan, which had been rescued in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has been sent to central China's Henan Province by train and will spend the winter in the warmer climate there, local forestry authorities said.

"Swans are a migratory bird and struggle to survive in north China in the winter," said Gao Xingyuan, an official with a local forestry bureau in Heilongjiang.

A wildlife photographer spotted the swan on Oct. 28, which was swimming in the river in the Great Khingan Mountains. The photographer reported it to the local forestry bureau and personnel of the bureau rescued the swan.

The bureau said the swan was a sub-adult, and no wounds were found. It is believed that the swan straggled behind due to lack of physical strength during the migration, according to Gao.

The bureau decided to send it to Henan by train.

The straggler has now arrived in the city of Sanmenxia, where flocks of white swans from Siberia come in October every year.