TWO lonely swans who had both lost their mates have found love again.

The pair have settled down to a new life together at a small holding at West Anstey, thanks to the match-making efforts of Diana Lewis from the North Devon Animal Ambulance (NDAA).

Usually, swans mate for life so it was hit-or-miss whether or not the two would take to each other.

But, after a cautious introduction, nature took its course and the new couple are now inseparable.

Their happy ending came about through coincidence.

A couple near South Molton rang to say their cob was so distraught at the death of his mate, they were going to return him to a swan sanctuary upcountry and asked Diana for a swan carrier.

By coincidence, the NDAA had also learned that a couple from West Anstey were looking for a mate for a lonely female swan on their smallholding.

Diana played cupid and brought them both together for a first date to see if each could find love again.

She said: "It was quite a magical thing to watch. They were very wary at first and circled around for some time, getting slowly closer and closer.

"In the end they came out onto the bank and sat down together. It was really very sweet and very rewarding because both of them deserved a new and happy future together."

Liz Sharpe and her husband John run the smallholding in West Anstey where the birds have settled; it has two lakes for wildfowl.

Liz said they were getting on very well and had become inseparable.

She added: "If he had arrived earlier we would have possibly had some cygnets but it was just a little bit late in the season. We are optimistic we might get some cygnets next year."