Teens Charged with Stealing, Eating Beloved Swan Thought It Was a ‘Very Large Duck’

A trio of teens arrested for killing and eating a swan beloved by residents of an upstate New York village told police they thought it was a "very large duck."

The three - 18, 17 and 16 - surrendered to police on Tuesday after a mature female swan named Faye and her four babies went missing last weekend from a pond in Manlius, a suburb of Syracuse, law enforcement officials said.

The three friends, who attend the same high school, climbed over the metal fence surrounding the pond in the middle of the night last Saturday, Manlius Police Sgt. Ken Hatter said at a news conference on Wednesday, Syracuse.com reported.

They held down Faye, who was nesting and did not fight back, Hatter said, and decapitated her with a knife.

He said family and friends of the teens ate Faye on Memorial Day, and they planned on raising the babies - known as cygnets - as pets.

Told about the cherished place Faye has in the community, the teens said they thought it was a "very large duck."

The teens feel remorseful now, Hatter said.

“They’re definitely thinking that they should have not done what they’ve done,” he said.

The baby swans have been recovered and will be returned to the pond when they are old enough.

The teens were charged with third-degree grand larceny, second-degree criminal mischief, fifth-degree conspiracy, and third-degree criminal trespass, Syracuse.com reported.

The two juveniles were not identified.

The 18-year-old was identified as Eman Hussan, 18, of Syracuse.