A swan has brought traffic in Glasgow to a standstill after escaping from a nearby canal and refusing to budge from the middle of the road.
The huge avian wandered onto Maryhill Road from the nearby Forth and Clyde Canal at lunchtime on Friday November 4, to the amusement of locals and the frustration of motorists, who found their route blocked. The stubborn bird refused to move for vehicles, with pictures showing the efforts to budge the bird.
It even stopped to groom itself and check out a local McDonalds, until two men tried to encourage it away with a trail of bread. In scenes reminiscent of 2007 comedy action flick Hot Fuzz, a police officer then arrived on scene and took up breadcrumb duties, luring the creature off of the road.
Safely away from the road, the feathery menace was lifted into the waiting arms of an Scottish SPCA officer and has since been returned to its watery abode.
Eyewitness James Roberts, from Glasgow, said the swan "didn't have a care in the world" as it caused chaos.
He added: "He was waddling along very slowly. He wasn't scared of anyone or the traffic and didn't seem to notice he was holding up traffic.
"It was very funny. Two guys were pretty brave trying to coax him away from the road but he wasn't budging.
"He even stopped to groom himself and look at McDonalds. Eventually a brave police officer walked him up another road to a canal.
"He was a very large bird, I was not going to approach him."
Thursday's incident is the second time in weeks that a swan has halted cars in Glasgow. On October 13, motorists travelling along the M8 on the Kingston Bridge were halted by an equally headstrong feathered friend who refused to budge for high-speed traffic.
In a statement provided to the Record Ronan McLaughlin, the Scottish SPCA officer who rescued the swan, said wayward avians were a common occurrence at this time of year.
He said: “I arrived and found the swan wandering the road. The bird appeared to have crash-landed nearby.
“I checked the swan over and, as they were showing no sign of injuries, I picked them up and carried them back to the canal. This is quite common at this time of year so I wouldn’t be surprised if I get another call next week.
“We do still encourage people to call our helpline on 03000 999 999 if they see a swan somewhere unexpected. This is so we can check the bird is healthy and well and, as was the case with the swan today, provide them with a little help in getting back to the water.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Officers were called to a report of a swan walking on the carriageway of Maryhill Road, Glasgow around 11.15am on Friday, 4 November, 2022. Officers attended to ensure the welfare of the bird and of members of the public.
“The Scottish SPCA attended and took care of the swan.”
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