A mother swan has died shortly after her new brood of babies at their nest near the Charles River Esplanade became the focus of much adoration in Boston.
The swan died Monday night, the Esplanade Association said Tuesday.
"[We're] saddened to report that the mother swan of the adorable Esplanade swan family passed away last night in her nest," the organization said on Twitter.
It posted a heartbreaking image of the babies' father holding them in their nest on the Charles after Boston Animal Control removed the mother's body.
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Just last week, at least five cygnets hatched, drawing a crowd of onlookers and photographers, who shared photos and video of the swans and cygnets, dubbed by the Esplanade Association as "the Esplanade's adorable swan squad."
Below are some images of the swans captured by NBC10 Boston photographer Mark Garfinkel last week.
