An animal hospital in Lakeland welcomed some historic new arrivals last Saturday: baby Australian black swans.
Veterinarian Dr. Patricia Mattson, owner of the Animal Companion Hospital, could not be more thrilled.
"I came in and they had popped out of their eggs, and I had two baby swans on Saturday morning. I screamed excitedly," Mattson said.
According to Mattson, Australian black swans tend to leave their eggs, and the eggs can fail to stay warm. Lakeland's baby black swans were hatched from an incubator, something that's never been accomplished.
The eggs were sealed in the incubator and rolled slowly throughout the day. Time, temperature and humidity inside the incubator were closely monitored.
"This little machine makes a big difference," Mattson said.
The hospital hopes to eventually release the black swans at Lake Morton for the entire community to enjoy.
"The swans themselves are a big part of the City of Lakeland," said Parks and Recreation employee Steve Platt, who spends much of his time looking after the city's swans. "There's a lot of time and dedication put in to the care for the swans."
For now, they're under the watchful care of Mattson and Animal Companion Hospital.
"We're excited to have new swans for the environment, for us to have here," Mattson said. "We're very happy."