Overview
- City crews completed the relocation of 42 captive swans to licensed sanctuaries on Saturday, July 25, 2026.
- Officials said the move follows an avian influenza outbreak that killed more than two dozen swans and prompted a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission review.
- Park staff used temporary shoreline barriers and worked with state and federal wildlife experts to gather the birds and transfer family units to FWC-licensed facilities.
- The city paused its century-old swan program ahead of the $60 million Lake Eola Master Plan and has given no timetable for whether or when captive swans will return to the park.
- Local advocates welcomed the rehoming but urged specific fixes before any reintroduction, citing high seawalls that block cygnets and chronic sanitary and safety problems that they say stress the birds.