We would never say that an animal could not get depressed, but nature does not allow animals to go into a despondent or grieving stage like humans that could significantly interrupt their normal lives which includes foraging, eating, and protecting themselves from predators. To be in such turmoil, the species would not survive.

Nature programs species to proliferate their species through the hatching, bearing and caring for young. If the swans have never hatched out a cygnet, they never know what it is like to actually care for young. This is what happens to young birds and animals which mate for the first time, have young and then have absolutely no idea that something small is following them around, peeping or screaming to be fed or maintained. Some animals figure it out immediately and make great parents from the first time young appear and then throughout young bearing years. For others, the first year young may starve, suffer from neglect and die because the young parents do not have a clue how to care for them.

Regardless of the possibility of hatching, female swans will lay infertile eggs and will sit until they figure out that nothing is going to happen. Then, they will continue their normal lives. This is nature's programming.

The bright side of not having fertile eggs is that the adult swans can go about taking care of themselves and not having to worry about predators, inclement weather or other natural disasters that could significantly endanger the lives of their young as well as their own. We hope this information is of benefit. The Regal Swan