The East River’s “Swan Lake” story has ended in tragedy.
A rock-wielding, real-life “Rothbart” is believed to have ruthlessly murdered one half of the beloved swan couple that calls the river home — raising concerns about his bride as the birds mate for life, The Post has learned.
The majestic waterfowl, named Swanny, was euthanized late last month after veterinarians determined he had suffered extreme and irreversible head trauma, animal experts said.
“That is very easy prey for sick individuals or irresponsible — all the adjectives you could put — because I don’t forgive ignorance,” said Rossana Ceruzzi, founder of the Wildlife Freedom Foundation on Roosevelt Island.
Ceruzzi said she was worried about how Swanny’s mate, Odette, will fare with her other half now gone.
“It’s painful, it’s very very painful. And now I’m very worried about Odette because she’s alone,” Ceruzzi said. “Odette has been out of there now for a few days, so she’s mourning. They mourn because they mate for life.”
The lovebirds had called Hallett’s Cove Beach home for years, with neighbors flocking to the small stretch of waterfront in Queens to feed the pair bread and other treats.
Fowl fans also frequently documented Swanny and Odette’s “date night” swims to Roosevelt Island.
But late on Thanksgiving Day, a good Samaritan frantically called Ceruzzi to report an unwell-looking bird lying on the shore of the slim stretch of Long Island City shore.
Ceruzzi called the city’s Parks Department and rangers rushed Swanny to a Queens Animal Care Centers location the following morning, where emergency vets determined the bird was still alive, but in “extremely poor condition.”
“Sand was found packed in its mouth, nostrils, and feathers, suggesting it had been down on the ground and unable to right itself for some time,” an ACC rep said in a statement.
The bird was non-responsive and severely cold with injuries consistent with possible head trauma, the spokesperson said, adding the injuries were so bad that Swanny was struggling to breathe and could no longer lift his own head.
“Despite immediate assessment by our veterinary team, the swan’s condition was grave. It was minimally responsive, unable to lift its head, and suffering from profound weakness,” the statement said. “Given the severity of its condition and its lack of viable treatment options, humane euthanasia was recommended to prevent further suffering.”
No suspect has been identified in the sickening saga. And no official investigation appears to have been opened by authorities.
But Ceruzzi said multiple witnesses have reported seeing groups of teenagers throwing rocks at the feathered pair in the past — including around the time that Swanny met his end.
The animal expert said the injuries were too severe to have been caused by anything other than human cruelty. The leading theory is that Swanny was killed by a rock to the head by a villain like Rothbart, the main antagonist in the iconic ballet “Swan Lake.”
“The swans, believe it or not, are animals that are not necessarily beloved by everyone in New York. I think that this was an individual, being either a teen or a sick individual, who did that,” Ceruzzi said.
The waterfowl couple would have likely been sleeping on the beach around the time of the attack, she added, making them the perfect possible prey.
“Some have asked me, ‘Do you think it could have been the ferry?’ And I say, ‘Absolutely not.’ Swanny would not have made it to the beach,” Ceruzzi noted. “When the ferry killed a few geese, they come ashore dead. That is impossible to survive. The only thing is that they were resting on the beach, making them very easy prey.”
Compounding the tragedy is that Swanny and Odette had only been reunited for a few months following an earlier separation caused by a different injury.
Swanny suffered an wounded wing and foot in March after getting entangled in discarded netting, and was rescued by Ceruzzi with the help of the FDNY’s Marine Operations.
The bird spent four months in rehab amongst the hundreds of cats at the Wildlife Freedom Foundation’s Roosevelt Island campus before being reunited with his true love in August, she said.
A tear-jerking video from their August reunion shows Swanny sprinting toward Odette, who fluffs up her wings in anger that her beloved had left her alone for months, though she quickly forgave him, according to Ceruzzi.
Since Swanny’s heartbreaking death, Odette has noticeably been absent from Hallett’s Cove for several days, likely too torn up to be in their former love nest alone again, Ceruzzi said.
“They mourn for such a long period of time, so very likely she’s just strolling far from there,” she said.
“I don’t even know if she will ever go back there,” Ceruzzi added.”It’s very, very sad.”
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