Close Call for Palace of Fine Arts Swan

These are dangerous times in which to be a swan.

Bella, one of the birds who paddles around the Palace of Fine Arts, was found with an foot injury last week. The possible fracture is being treated by experts in the North Bay as she recuperates.

It's the latest misfortune to befall the Palace of Fine Arts swans. Last year, someone broke the neck of one of the animals. For a while, there was only one bird in the lagoon, a lady named Blanche. But she was joined by Bella and her brother Blue Boy not long after.

Bella's doing well with her rehabilitation. Antibiotics have eliminated her fever and she's back to swimming. Vets from the SF Zoo are keeping an eye on her in preparation for her re-introduction to the PFA lagoon, which abuts a recently-restored garden and rotunda.

A next of owls was also recently sighted near the PFA, indicating a substantial improvement in the area's ecological quality. And either Bella or Blanche recently laid an egg, so there may be even more birds soon.