Zoo's hopes dashed after cruel act on swan

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Hopes that a swan egg may have been able to hatch after teenage boys killed its mother in a Melbourne park have been dashed.

A ranger delivered the unhatched egg to Melbourne Zoo this morning, but zoo staff checked the egg and found it had become chilled and was no longer viable.

The swan egg was left in its nest without a mother to warm it after a group of teenage boys threw an object at the mother, a black swan, and killed it at Queens Park, Moonee Ponds on April 6.

After his mate was killed, the father swan tried to take her place by nesting on the egg to keep it warm.

But his three-week nesting effort has been in vain.

Moonee Park rangers had been reluctant to take the egg from him too early, concerned that it may be further detrimental to him after losing his mate.

The black swans were the only nesting swans at the park and the killing shocked the local community.

Moonee Valley Council vowed to do everything it could to help the father swan and keep a close eye on him as he nested.

The day after the killing, police spoke to three of six teenage boys believed to be involved in the attack and expected to charge them with aggravated cruelty.

- AAP