My parents were in St. Ingbert, a quiet town in Saarland – Germany, in October to visit my sister’s fiancé and his family. They loved St. Ingbert and their days were full with long walks in the neighbourhood and frequent trips to the city’s centre square. They went to a local park one evening and loved it's picturesque lake. My Mom noticed a swan following them around in the park and was told that his name was Ingo. Ingo had recently lost his wife Bertha in a road accident. It seems theirs was a happy marriage and they had also had a family, but now Ingo was a lonely swan after Bertha’s death. He longed for company and followed people around to make sure he was not alone.

The citizens of St. Ingbert decided to do something for him and wrote to various animal support groups and soon arranged for a partner for Ingo. My parents had already left St. Ingbert by the time the new bride arrived. They named her Bertha. It seems there was some apprehension about whether Ingo and Bertha would get along and be happy. Luckily they seem to have hit it off and Ingo is no longer lonely. St. Ingbert is hoping to look forward to many swanlings soon.

Hats off to the residents of St. Ingbert for their compassion towards the needs of a swan. I guess the need for a companion is a basic one, it need not necessarily be in the form of a life partner but one does need a friend to be with at times.