swans

After a most dramatic rescue of a beautiful swan from a dangerous waterfall, the swan was reunited with her mate, and this amazing, romantic, incredibly heartwarming moment was caught on camera. It's a happy ending like no other, and we are so happy to not only see this rescued swan back in the wild but back in the wild with her mate - who was waiting for it to return at the site of the waterfall. 

As InYourArea reports, "RSPCA officers had teamed up with rangers from the Greenfield Valley Park to help the stranded swan." The swan had fallen down the raging waterfall and was rescued from the bottom of it. Unfortunately, because of a serious eye injury, the swan couldn't be returned to the wild right away and had to go through a period of rehabilitation. 

During the rehabilitation period, the swan's mate was spotted waiting for his at the site of the waterfall where the swan was rescued, so the rescuers were eager to return the swan to his mate. And the reunion was gut-wrenchingly beautiful.

Check out the pictures from the reunion below!

An incredible friendship between a man from Turkey and the swan he rescued has lasted for decades. 37 years ago, a now retired postman, Recep Mirzan, found a female swan who he later named Garip in Turkey's western Edirne province, and they have been friends ever since. 

As NEWS CHANNEL 3 reports, "Mirzan and a group of friends were taking a shortcut in their car when they noticed the swan, with a broken wing, in an empty field. Mirzan immediately took the swan in to protect her from predators and kept her in the car until that afternoon, when he was able to take the swan to his home." Ever since then, Garip has been living on Mirzan's farm in the Karaagac region near Greece. Whenever Garip is out of her pen, she accompanies Mirzan during his chores and evening walks. 

Read more about their heartwarming story and check out their even more heartwarming pictures below.

We all know that there's something special about being held in your mother's arms. It's a unique kind of soft and warm. It makes us feel protected even now that we're older but especially when we were little babies. 

It's the same for animals. For them too, there is something special about being held and carried by mom, whether it's dogs or cats or swans. And since we all feel like we could use a hug right about now, and there's nothing better in the world than a big strong hug from mom, we've brought you some of the most wholesome and sweetest pictures we could find of mother's love in nature in the form of little tiny baby swans getting carried around and being sheltered by their mommas.