One week after the mother swan gave birth to six cygnets in Charles River Esplanade in Boston, she passed away of unclear cause. This was quite a tragedy as she was nesting her eggs very actively, and there were no signs of illness reported. The father swan, who became a single father, has been seen caring for babies ever since.

This story was caught by a photographer Matthew Raifman and turned the family into local celebrities at once.

Matthew described this story as both “heartbreaking & heartwarming”.

It was interesting to see how careful and tender the father was while carrying his six cygnets on his back through the river. He has been doing all the job of a mother, and apparently he was doing great!

Boston Animal Control team had some concerns regarding the cygnet’s further survival following the mother’s death, but they were surprised to see babies having rest under their father’s shoulder.

Swans make partners for life, and while they tend to share their parenting duties, it is the mother that mostly deals with all care. Fathers are randomly seen doing everything a mother would do, but this case was exceptional. The caretakers say that the family is doing well and that they have a great father. The cygnets will certainly grow into strong adults, as they have a great father looking after them.

Here’s a video of the family’s swim;