A homeless man who ‘strokes, cuddles and kisses’ swans in Hyde Park has been banned from the public space after getting into a fight with disapproving onlookers who complained about his behaviour.
Anders Fernstedt, 57, AKA ‘The Swan Whisperer’, was filmed touching and kissing the birds in the famous London park.
The footage was taken by local woman Virginia Grey, who then watched as swan volunteer Jon Ferguson told Fernstedt to leave the birds alone.
Fernstedt responded by ramming into Ms Grey with his bicycle, calling her ‘Hitler’, and then assaulting Mr Ferguson when he tried to stop him.
Swedish man Fernstedt denied assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but was convicted by a jury at Southwark Crown Court this week. He was sentenced to a 15 month community order and a 15 day rehabilitation activity requirement.
Most devastatingly of all though, he’s been banned from going into Kensington Gardens in Hyde Park (or contacting Mr Ferguson or Ms Grey) for two years.
The judge said:
‘There were clearly issues with the swan population due to an outbreak of avian flu and Mr Ferguson had warned you about touching the swans and you ignored him several times and enticed the swans out of the water with food.
‘You have beliefs about interacting with and touching swans and showing them to tourists to understand the bird population.
‘The sad thing is all three of you have an interest in the welfare of birds but different views about how this should be achieved.’
Fernstedt, who represented himself in court, argued that the swans enjoyed his affection and intimacy with them, but the judge was dubious:
‘[The swans] go to anybody who has food… It is not because they think you are fantastic.
‘But you stroke them, you cuddle them, you kiss them, you pick them up. That is interfering with wildlife, and disturbing them. It is not natural.’
Well, you might say that letting the swans decide whether they can be cuddled, kissed and picked up by a strange Swedish homeless man is the more ‘natural’ way of doing things, but at the end of the day he could catch a load of diseases from these birds and infect everyone else, and that wouldn’t be good for anybody.
It actually turns out that The Swan Whisperer is doing pretty well for himself as a homeless guy. He’s well known around London’s billionaires’ row in Knightsbridge, where he’s pitched up in a doorway with a bed, plants and books. Residents of the wealthy neighbourhood bring him food and designer clothes and he once even received a £5,000 Fortnum and Mason hamper from one of his wealthy ‘neighbours’. Not too shabby.
Well anyway, maybe he should just download Tinder and find a bird that way. Because the swans in Hyde Park are officially a no-go… for two years, at least.
For the man who took a bunch of MDMA and stole a boat to go hang out with some swans, click HERE. No harm done.
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