Chicago families have two graceful new neighbors to meet. A pair of trumpeter swans named Dean and Dolly is now on view at Lincoln Park Zoo, gliding across the Hope B. McCormick Swan Pond and greeting guests just as the zoo’s first swans did more than a century and a half ago.
The names carry a special story. The zoo’s Women’s Board chose them in honor of its 50th anniversary, paying tribute to the late Dolly Parton and her husband Carl Dean. Like Parton’s lifelong commitment to giving back to children, the board helps keep Lincoln Park Zoo a free, family-oriented place focused on conservation and open to everyone. Since 1976, it has contributed more than $42 million to habitats, science and education programs.
Trumpeter swans are the largest swan species in the world, measuring up to 5 feet long with a wingspan of 6.6 feet. They spend much of their time preening and waterproofing their iconic white feathers, and they generally mate for life, staying together year-round in pairs or family groups.
Their comeback is one of conservation’s happiest stories. Hunted to near extinction, only 69 remained in the wild in 1935. Thanks to decades of protection, the species has rebounded, and Lincoln Park Zoo has released more than 40 swans into the wild to help local populations grow. A visit to see Dean and Dolly is a free, joyful way for Happy City News readers to share that story with kids this fall.
Photo: Lincoln Park Zoo
