Steve Platt, of the City of Lakeland's Parks and Recreation Dept., reaches out to catch a swan during the city of Lakeland's 45th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Lakeland, Fla. The Lake Morton swan population dates back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gifted a pair of swans to the city. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
City of Lakeland Parks and Recreation workers Randall Pyle, left, and Dustin Collins catch a swan during the city of Lakeland's 45th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Lakeland, Fla. The Lake Morton swan population dates back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gifted a pair of swans to the city. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Residents look at swans in a cage during the city of Lakeland's 45th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Lakeland, Fla. The Lake Morton swan population dates back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gifted a pair of swans to the city. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Swans are kept in a cage during the city of Lakeland's 45th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Lakeland, Fla. The Lake Morton swan population dates back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gifted a pair of swans to the city. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Bryan Soroka, of the City of Lakeland's Parks and Recreation Dept., moves swans to a pen during the city of Lakeland's 45th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Lakeland, Fla. The Lake Morton swan population dates back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gifted a pair of swans to the city. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Steve Platt, of the City of Lakeland's Parks and Recreation Dept., reaches out to catch a swan during the city of Lakeland's 45th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Lakeland, Fla. The Lake Morton swan population dates back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gifted a pair of swans to the city. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
City of Lakeland Parks and Recreation workers Randall Pyle, left, and Dustin Collins catch a swan during the city of Lakeland's 45th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Lakeland, Fla. The Lake Morton swan population dates back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gifted a pair of swans to the city. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Residents look at swans in a cage during the city of Lakeland's 45th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Lakeland, Fla. The Lake Morton swan population dates back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gifted a pair of swans to the city. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Swans are kept in a cage during the city of Lakeland's 45th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Lakeland, Fla. The Lake Morton swan population dates back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gifted a pair of swans to the city. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Bryan Soroka, of the City of Lakeland's Parks and Recreation Dept., moves swans to a pen during the city of Lakeland's 45th annual swan roundup on Lake Morton Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2025, in Lakeland, Fla. The Lake Morton swan population dates back to 1957, when Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gifted a pair of swans to the city. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Dozens of swans descended from a pair gifted to the central Florida city of Lakeland by Britain's Queen Elizabeth II in the 1950s were rounded up Tuesday for their annual health checkup.
The 54 swans were scooped up in a net by a parks and recreation staffer in a boat on Lakeland's Lake Morton. They were placed in temporary pens and taken to an animal hospital to prepare for .
At the animal hospital on Wednesday, they will be weighed and checked for any infirmities, and baby swans will be microchipped.
The swan roundup is a signature event in Lakeland, a city of around 125,000 residents located between Tampa and Orlando.
Elizabeth sent the pair of swans as gifts to the city of Lakeland in 1957 after the Florida city's swan population was depleted by disease and predators. became aware of the swan situation from two former Lakeland residents living abroad and offered the pair from the royal flock living on the Thames River outside London.
The swan became the symbol of Lakeland and is found on its logo. The swan roundup started in 1980, as the lake's swan population multiplied.
The ºÃÉ«tv Press. All rights reserved.
Get the latest from ºÃÉ«tvNews in your inbox. Select the emails you're interested in below.
It’s a little-known fact that Canada’s credit unions are among the country’s stron…
Sorry, an error occurred.
Already Subscribed!
Cancel anytime
Thank you .
Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in.
Check your email for details.
Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password.
An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account.
No promotional rates found.
Secure & Encrypted
Thank you.
Your gift purchase was successful! Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in.
| Rate: | |
| Begins: | |
| Transaction ID: |
A receipt was sent to your email.
