Black swans debut at San Francisco Zoo today

By Angela Hokanson, Bay City News Service

May 2, 2006

The San Francisco Zoo will welcome two new additions today, a pair of Australian black swans, and will showcase the newly restored Billabong area of the zoo, where the swans will live.

The zoo will hold an 11 a.m. event for news media Tuesday to welcome the animals.

"Black swans are quite striking in appearance and are considered the most social of all swan species, so we believe our visitors will be thrilled by them," said Manuel Mollinedo, executive director and president of the San Francisco Zoo.

Black swans are mostly black with white wing tips and red beaks. The birds can weigh up to 20 pounds and can have wingspans of up to 6 feet, according to officials from the zoo.

The swans will live in a section of the zoo called the Billabong, which is an Australian word meaning a pool of standing water that is attached to a waterway.

"We're confident that our two swans will be quite happy in a setting such as our Billabong, which matches their Australian homeland," Mollinedo said.

The black swans were given to the zoo by Black Swan Vineyards, an Australian wine company named after the animals. Black Swan Vineyards has also financed the renovation of the Billabong area of the zoo.

"Black Swan Vineyards is proud to support the San Francisco Zoo, a leader in conservation as well as a vibrant community center for recreation and education," said Jennifer Chen of Black Swan Vineyards.

"Bringing these elegant and distinctive birds to the zoo is a great opportunity to help people learn more about this unique species," Chen said.

Tuesday's event will be held in the Billabong area of the zoo.

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