Aye, the Mute Swan has a particular special status...
In the UK, there is one species everybody knows the Queen protects: the mute swan (Cygnus olor).
The Crown claimed ownership of all the mute swans in England and Wales in the 12th Century, primarily to stop commoners depriving the royals of a favourite banqueting dish.
Today the birds are no longer eaten - it is now a criminal offence to harm a swan in any way - and the Queen still exercises her ownership of swans on certain stretches of the River Thames and its tributaries.
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Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.
Oh my God, not again!!
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