Offbeat

‘Supervet’ rescues startled swan from Dublin traffic

Prof Noel Fitzpatrick wraps confused bird in tweed jacket and returns it to Grand Canal

A video screengrab shows Prof Noel Fitzpatrick carrying the lost swan to the canal. Image: Twitter

Wed Nov 7 2018 - 10:35

"Supervet" Prof Noel Fitzpatrick came to the rescue of a startled swan wandering in Dublin traffic on Tuesday and returned the bird to the Grand Canal.

A taxi and a motorcyclist were forced to swerve the swan as it wandered along the main Donnybrook Road.

But luckily for the frightened bird, the Laois-born vet and star of Channel 4's The Supervet, spotted the commotion and ran to its aid.

Fitzpatrick tweeted a video of his rescue saying: “On route to the next interview in Dublin this afternoon and we came across this poor confused fella who was stuck in the middle of the main road. Having experienced many swan rescues down the years I knew I could help... mission accomplished... now happy and safe at home x”.

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Interviewed on RTÉ's The Ray D'Arcy Show, the vet explained how he wrapped the swan in his tweed jacket and carried it to the canal.

“We were rushing from Grafton Street down here and crossed the canal, and a swan just mistook the road for the canal because it is blizzarding rain down there and just landed on the road right in front of a taxi cab,” he said.

“Trucks were coming, bikes were swerving, and I was like, ‘Pull the car over I need to put my red pants on, nah no time for the pants on the outside of the trousers – Vetman jumped out of the car.

“Fortunately I had a lovely tweed jacket on that I had just done a television interview in so that was perfect for getting the swan safely under it and run him back to the canal and release him.”

The vet said he had rescued a number of swans in the past so was confident he could bring it back to the nearby canal.

“The motorbike that had swerved was unbelievably close and a taxi cab that had swerved from out behind another car - you’re not going to expect there is a swan in the middle of the Donnybrook road.”

Neither animal nor vet was injured in the encounter, but Fitzpatrick added: “My wrist is killing me, he was huge!”

The television star vet specialises in treating pets whose ailments and broken bones are difficult to cure. He has a practice in Eashing, just outside Godalming in Surrey, and a specialist oncology unit in Guildford.

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