PETA now offering $5K reward in case of stolen baby swans

ORLANDO, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person, or persons, responsible for stealing baby swans from Lake Eola Park in Downtown Orlando.

On Tuesday morning, a ranger at the park heard a mother swan screaming in distress and discovered that her six cygnets had vanished.  City Commissioner Patty Sheehan suspects that the baby swans — which were less than 48 hours old — were taken by a person, as it's unlikely that a natural predator took all six.

"These gentle, delicate baby swans are less than a week old and may be in grave danger without their mother," says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. "PETA is urging anyone with information about the babies' whereabouts or their abductor's identity to come forward immediately to save these missing birds from a gruesome fate."

Stealing a swan is a felony offense in Florida.  Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to contact the Orlando Police Department toll-free at 1-800-423-TIPS (8477), and the baby swans can be dropped off at the city's Eola House, "no questions asked."