Cygnet scare

The lone cygnet of Longboat Key has been returned to its parents after a brush with conjunctivitis — but only for now. 

When swan keeper David Novak took the little bird to the vet for diagnosis and medication, he decided to get an X-ray done, too. It revealed a fish hook stuck in the cygnet’s belly, but as of now, the bird isn’t strong enough to survive surgery. Novak has released the budding bird back to its parents and hopes to get it strong enough to withstand surgery in August.