NYC bandits kidnap swan in bird-brained scheme, but mystery remains over its fate

Four people were caught on video awkwardly bird-napping a massive swan in Queens — as activists fear the missing bird may have met its end as an animal sacrifice or because of a senior prank.

The four — including one minor — were busted after snatching the mute female swan Saturday at Frank M. Charles Memorial Park in Howard Beach, according to US Park Police.

Authorities didn’t immediately release the names of the alleged bird-brained bandits, but local officials and activists speculate the bird could have met an unsavory fate as some of the birds have ended up on lunch plates in years past.

“There have been numerous animal sacrifices [in the area], it’s been an ongoing problem,” Edita Birnkrant, executive director of animal advocacy group NYCLASS, said of the various bloody rites carried out at parkland near Jamaica Bay. “It’s possible that could have been the intent.”…

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