People in Swindon have expressed their sadness after it was announced that one of the town's most famous wild animals had died. 

For years visitors to Swindon's Coate Water park have enjoyed seeing a rare black swan thriving there. 

But people were dismayed to learn that the park's exotic tenant had died, following an announcement from Swindon Borough Council. 

A spokesperson for the local authority shared the news on social media. 

They said: "We’re very sad to report that the black swan at Coate Water has died.

"Believed to have been at the country park since 2008, the swan was admired by visitors and was a popular subject for many photographers over the years.

"Our warden team, with the help of RSPCA Oak and Furrows, were monitoring the swan recently as it had been less active than usual and it has now sadly died of natural causes."

Dozens of reactions have flooded in, with everyone upset by the swan's death. 

The black swan (or cygnas atratus) is rare in the UK and is actually a native species of Australia. It spent its time living among the native white British mute swans and at one point did produce offspring which retained the white colour.

Speaking to the Advertiser in 2022, park rangers at Coate Water said: “Since it’s been here it has bred with a mute swan and had several cygnets but these all turned out white in colour.

 "As far as we’re aware, it has not bred in the most recent mating season.

“We hope this magnificent bird will stay in the park for a long time to come.”

Read More: Rare Australian black swan finds a home at Coate Water in Swindon

Although the species originated in Australia there is a small population in the UK.

Individual birds were brought from the then colony of Australia in the 19th century to live on wealthy people’s ponds, rather in the way that many owners of stately homes imported peacocks from Persia to wander the grounds of the estate.

Inevitably some of those black swans escaped from the collections and there is a small wild population.

A study 10 years ago found there were just 37 breeding pairs in the UK -  with mute swans being so well established across the country, there has been little spare habitat and food  to support large populations of black swans – although the species has become the symbol of the town of Dawlish in Devon.