Dramatic scenes as swan rescued from Leeds train station roof in career first for RSPCA officer

The bird, which had become stranded and confused, was spotted by a member of the public who called the animal welfare charity.

Animal rescue officer Dave Holgate found the swan had been unable to fly as it was surrounded by high walls above the station, affecting its ability to properly take off as swans need a run-up of at least 30 metres to take off.

He said: “The swan had managed to get itself up there but it didn’t seem to want to move - it was obviously a bit perplexed about how to get down. I managed to safely catch it and saw that it wasn’t injured, so I was able to release it back into the River Aire where its cygnets were waiting for it.

“While they are strong flyers, swans can get themselves stuck if they mistake a roof for a river and crash land - it can lead to them feeling confused.

“As RSPCA officers, we never know what sort of jobs we are going to be called to every day - being on the roof of a busy city centre train station is definitely a rare one. We’re just glad to have been able to release the swan unscathed, and our thanks go to the people who reported its plight to us.”

More information on the RSPCA’s work to help wildlife can be found on the charity’s website.