After spending part of this year's harsh winter indoors at a local zoo, a trumpeter swan pair has returned to their home territory at Brandenburg, Germany's Branity Park.
Claudia Bachmann and Michael Kuboth from Cottbus Zoo transported the birds back to Lake Tumulus, the swans' traditional habitat within the historic park. The zoo had provided temporary shelter for the breeding pair when freezing temperatures made their natural water habitat uninhabitable this winter.
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The homecoming coincides with the start of the breeding season, and the swans are already displaying mating behaviors that indicate they are preparing to nest.
In a nod to local history, the female swan has been given the official name "Lucie" in honor of Princess Lucie von Pückler. The naming celebrates what would have been the princess's 250th birthday in 2026, which the foundation is commemorating through a special "Women's Kingdom" themed year.
The trumpeter swan pair are considered permanent residents of Branitz Park, where they return annually to Lake Tumulus to raise their young. Trumpeters defend large territories together, and generally mate for life.