Do the parents and the family come up to the bank if you feed them bread? Are they wild or captive? How old is the cygnet? These three questions are going to help determine what might be required to help.

If the swans are wild and do not hang around people, then you are going to need a boat of some kind with a net to try and separate the cygnet from the family and capture it. You will need to stop the motor as soon as you get close as they cygnet will dive under the boat to escape. The best option would be to get a few people with some kayaks and canoes and herd the cygnet onto land. If something is not done, the bird may not be able to eat and will die from starvation/dehydration.

If the swans come up to people, you will need several people to feed and try to spread out the food so the cygnet is somewhat separated from the parents. You will need to work quickly to grab the cygnet and run so the parents do not start attacking you for kidnapping their offspring. If you can grab the cygnet, check out whatever is around the beak and remove it, then you can quickly return the swan back to the parents. If it has swallowed a hook or a hook is imbedded in the bill, you will need to get the swan to a veterinarian and return it back to the parents in a very timely manner (2-3 hours). If you hold the cygnet longer, the parents may not take it back and you will need to find it a safe good home, such as a wildlife sanctuary until it can be old enough to be returned to the wild. Even if the swans come to people to be fed, you may still need a boat if you fail to capture the swans on land. Once you attempt and fail, they get smart real quick.

The best option would be to contact a wildlife rehabilitation center and see if they can help as they will have qualified experienced staff members who have captured wildlife. Please let us know how this situation progresses. The Regal Swan