A swan mourned the death of his companion on a German railway track, police said in a statement. The two birds had strayed onto the track area of the high-speed line between Kassel and Gottingen in central Germany “during an excursion”, according to Kassel police.
One of the swans died, most likely after getting caught in the overhead power cables. His companion then sat beside the body in mourning, resisting attempts by officials to lure him away.
Firefighters with special equipment were later called in and managed to lift the dead swan and his surviving companion away from the area.
The surviving swan was unharmed and later released onto the river Fulda. According to Britain’s Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, swans try to find a mate for life.