A pair of black swans were spotted by Southold residents recently – a sight not usually seen on Long Island.

The birds native to Australia we're spotted swimming in a creek, where Southold residents worked with Long Island Orchestrating for Nature to rescue the male and female swans last week.

"They're extremely sweet, they're very gentle. They didn't put up any bit of a fight. I mean, they were just scared," says executive director of Long Island Orchestrating for Nature, John Di Leonardo.

He says the swans can't survive in our climate because they were hand-raised in captivity.

Di Leonardo says the swans were underweight and both have a staph infection on their feet called bumble foot, which left untreated he says could have killed them.

"I'm very glad that we got them and we were able to save them," he adds.

He says the swans either escaped or they were abandoned. He says the native swans in the creek were attacking the black swans.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, anyone who possess a wild animal like the black swans needs to obtain a special license.

Di Leonardo and his wife Juliana have been keeping the black swans safe in Malverne for about a week now. They have already received multiple applications from reputable sanctuaries to find the perfect home for them.

"We're going to find the best home for them with vet care, with regular feeding, predator proofing, and large naturalistic ponds for them to swim in," Di Leonardo says.

Di Leonardo says animal abandonment carries a $1,000 fine and a year in jail.