Aggressive swan may have contributed to death of a suburban Chicago kayaker, officials say

Officials said an aggressive swan may have played a role in the accidental drowning of a suburban Chicago kayaker over the weekend.

The Associated Press reported Anthony Hensley was pulled from a pond in Des Plaines on Saturday morning.

A spokesman for the Cook County sheriff, Frank Bilecki, said Hensley, an experienced kayaker, might have paddled too close to a nesting swan and its birds.

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Sheriff Tom Dart told the BBC that one of the swans charged and capsized his boat, and actively blocked Hensley as he tried to swim ashore.

"I find myself still scratching my head," said Sheriff Dart. "This truly is one of the ones that keeps you from saying 'I've seen everything now.'"

Chris Perrins, a retired Oxford ornithologist said "it's presumably a male swan and it's presumably paired, and it's set up home for the spring, according to the BBC.

Experts said this type of aggressive behavior is common for a muted swan defending its nest, especially during this time of year which is mating season.