LAKE EOLA, Fla. – Lake Eola’s iconic swans removed as city cites avian flu, major park renovation
For the first time in decades, Lake Eola is without its iconic swans.
The City of Orlando removed all 42 captive swans from the lake early Saturday morning, relocating them to a sanctuary where they will continue to receive care. City officials say the move was prompted by a deadly avian flu outbreak that killed nearly 30 swans earlier this year, as well as the challenges of protecting the birds during the park’s upcoming $60 million renovation.
The swans have long been a symbol of downtown Orlando, inspiring the lake’s signature swan-shaped paddle boats and serving as one of the city’s most recognizable attractions.
“That’s always been a part,” Orlando resident Xavier Langford said. “If you look at the boats right here, inspired by the swans, the artwork around here, it’s always been inspired by the swans.”
Many visitors said the lake felt noticeably different without the birds.
“That’s what makes the lake your experience, what it is,” Langford said. “We need the swans.”
The city says park rangers, animal handlers and wildlife experts safely transported the birds to a sanctuary, where they will remain while officials address the impacts of avian flu and move forward with renovations at Lake Eola Park.
Some residents said they support the decision if it protects the swans’ health.
“I’d much rather them not be here than have them all die,” Orlando resident Erik Fuller said. “But I would love to see something from the city or the state on a timeline of getting them back, or what we’re doing about trying to fix the situation.”
The park’s renovation project includes improvements to the Walt Disney Amphitheater and other areas of Lake Eola Park. City leaders say caring for the swans during construction would have been difficult and could have placed the birds at greater risk.
“I thought they were only going to remove them to get them out of the way while they do the renovations so they don’t get hurt,” Orlando resident Jack Nelson said. “But I would love the place a little bit more if they came back.”
Others worry the lake has lost one of its defining features.
“When you take the wrong piece of the Jenga out, the whole thing is going to crumble,” another resident said. “If they’re just thinking about money and they start to neglect nature, they’re going to see the consequences.”
City officials say visitors may still spot wild swans passing through Lake Eola, but the city’s captive swan program is now on pause.
The city has not announced when—or if—the captive swans will return to Lake Eola.