- Did you witness the swan attack? Email natasha.anderson@mailonline.com
A man who allegedly started riding a swan insisted he only grabbed it by the neck and dragged it through the park after it attacked his child.
Footage shows the man carrying the bird through the park near Caerphilly Castle on Sunday afternoon, as the swan flaps its wings in an attempt to break free.
Brandon Ryzy, 21, said he confronted the man who claimed the swan had “attacked his children,” but noted that “there were no children around.” Mr Ryzy suspected that the man was 'under the influence' of alcohol at the time.
The 21-year-old shouted, “Put the fuck down!” His call was echoed by fellow park visitors who shouted “put it down!”
Gwent Police have appealed to help trace the man.
A man was caught on camera dragging a swan by his neck through the park near Caerphilly Castle on Sunday afternoon. The swan is seen flapping its wings in an attempt to break free
A bystander claimed the man (pictured) told him the swan had 'attacked his children', but the witness claims there were 'no children around'. It is suspected that the man was 'under the influence' of alcohol
Mr Ryzy was walking home from his Christmas shopping around 4.20pm on Sunday when he saw the man dragging the bird.
Photos and videos shared on Facebook show the man carrying the swan in one hand and what appears to be a bottle in the other.
Mr Ryzy claimed the man 'had alcohol on him' during the 'absolutely disgusting' incident and was reluctant to put the bird down.
“I had to be very aggressive to get him to stop,” he told the news station, recalling how the swan flapped its wings until it fell.
He explained how the bird's feathers were ruffled where its neck was grabbed and claimed he was apparently 'in shock'.
“I saw the man walking away and stayed with the bird to see if he could get back to the canal,” Mr Ryzy said.
Photos and videos shared on Facebook show the man carrying the swan in one hand and what appears to be a bottle in the other
The bystander said he chased the man (pictured) to make sure he freed the bird. He says the bird “flapped” around and then “fell to the ground.” It managed to 'get back into the water' but appeared 'fragile and moving slowly'
The 21-year-old student, who shared footage of the incident online in a bid to help identify the man, said bystanders at a nearby pub also witnessed the incident and reported it to Gwent Police.
Police told MailOnline today that officers searched the area but the man was not found. They are currently trying to track him down.
Caerphilly Bird Rescue has branded the attack as 'sickening'.
All unmarked mute swans found in open water in England are considered the property of the King and are protected by the Monarch's Swan Guard.
This means that taking a swan with you can be considered theft. Killing or injuring a swan may also result in criminal damages or a wildlife crime.
It is unclear whether the swan attacked near Caerphilly Castle was protected by the Crown.
Anyone with any information about the attack can call police on 101, quoting 2300411149, or message Gwent Police on social media.