An Illinois woman has filed a wrongful death lawsuit after losing her husband in a bizarre animal attack. Her husband was brutally attacked by a swan while on a kayak in a pond at a Des Plaines condo complex.

The man, who died in April 2012, was responsible for taking care of the pair of swans. His employer was Knox Swan and Dog, who is named as a defendant in the wife’s lawsuit. The other two defendants are the management company for the condo complex, Hillcrest Property Management and the Bay Colony Drive condo complex.

The lawsuit alleges that the premises was “unreasonably dangerous” because of the swans. It also claims that all of the defendants should have known or already knew that the “swans are strongly territorial with a dangerous propensity to attack.”

The swans were on the property as a means of keeping geese away. It’s not known if the male or female swan attacked the man, but the attack was violent enough to pitch the man into the water from his kayak. The swan continued its attack. According to the medical examiner’s office in Cook County, the death was accidental due to drowning.

The amount of damages the woman is seeking is not known; however, she likely has several claims in her lawsuit. When someone has suffered personal injury in an animal attack, the owner of the animal can be held liable for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages and other damages. While most people would not likely think that swans are dangerous, this case tragically shows otherwise.

Source: News Channel 4, “Man drowns in swan attack, wife files wrongful death lawsuit” A. Edwards, Apr. 17, 2014