The Atlas Obscura Podcast · Friday, July 17, 2026
A swan named Moby, a resident of Prospect Park's ponds, has been treated twice by the Wild Bird Fund. Initially, Moby had surgery to remove an ingested fish hook in January 2022. In early 2024, he returned suffering from high lead toxicity but has since recovered.
“That was the case with a white swan named Moby, who calls the ponds of Prospect Park in Brooklyn home. Not one, but two issues manifested in this one bird.”
“Moby was brought into the Wild Bird Fund in January of 2022 because of a fish hook he accidentally swallowed. He underwent surgery and was back at Prospect Park just a couple of weeks later. In early 2024, some folks noticed Moby was a little wobbly and not his usual bubbly self. He returned to the Wild Bird Fund when the folks found out he was suffering from high lead toxicity. After a few weeks of treatment, Moby was once again back to his old self.”