Bonnie and Clyde, Resident Mute Swans | Avanti The Bear Den Crown Point Indiana

Who Are Bonnie and Clyde?

Bonnie and Clyde are the resident mute swans at Avanti The Bear Den wildlife sanctuary in Crown Point, Indiana. Bonnie is a 1-year-old female mute swan. Clyde is a 12-year-old male mute swan. Both are permanent year-round residents of the property and the only animals at the sanctuary available for hands-on interaction.

Guests staying overnight at Avanti The Bear Den are welcome to feed Bonnie and Clyde by hand. This is not an exhibit. It is not a scheduled show. It is two swans who live on this land year-round, and an evening moment that most guests say they remember longer than they expected.

When Avanti the black bear hibernates each winter, Bonnie and Clyde remain. They are the reason a stay at Avanti The Bear Den in December or January is still a genuine wildlife experience.

Bonnie and Clyde the Mute Swans, Species and Facts

SpeciesMute Swan

Scientific NameCygnus olor

NamesBonnie (female) and Clyde (male)

AgesBonnie 1 year, Clyde 12 years

ResidencyPermanent, year-round

LocationAvanti The Bear Den, Crown Point, Indiana

InteractionFeed allowed by hand

Lifespan20 to 30 years in managed settings

What kind of swans are Bonnie and Clyde?

Bonnie and Clyde are mute swans, species Cygnus olor. Mute swans are the large white swans most commonly associated with parks, estates, and formal gardens across North America and Europe. They are identifiable by their orange beaks with a distinctive black knob at the base. The male mute swan is called a cob. The female is called a pen. Clyde is the cob. Bonnie is the pen.

How long do mute swans live?

Mute swans in managed sanctuary settings can live 20 to 30 years. Wild mute swans average 10 to 12 years. Clyde at 12 years is approaching the upper range of a typical wild lifespan, but in the managed care setting at Avanti The Bear Den, he is in the mature prime of his life. Bonnie at 1 year is still in her first year of adult plumage development.

What do mute swans look like?

Mute swans are among the largest flying birds in North America. Adults have entirely white plumage, orange-red bills with a distinctive black fleshy knob at the base, and long graceful necks. Adult male cobs like Clyde are typically larger than females. Cygnets, or young swans, are born grey and develop white adult plumage in their first year. Bonnie, at one year old, is completing this transition now.

Are mute swans native to Indiana?

Mute swans are not native to Indiana or North America. They were introduced from Europe and Asia during the 19th and early 20th centuries and are now established across much of the northern United States and Canada. In Indiana and across the Midwest, mute swans are found in managed settings like wildlife sanctuaries as well as in some wild waterways.

Bonnie and Clyde resident mute swans at Avanti The Bear Den Crown Point Indiana

Bonnie, The Younger Swan

NameBonnie

SexFemale (pen)

Age1 year old

SpeciesMute Swan (Cygnus olor)

ResidencyYear-round

InteractionFeed allowed

Who is Bonnie?

Bonnie is the newer arrival of the two swans at Avanti The Bear Den. She arrived at the sanctuary at just one year old and is in the earliest phase of her adult life. In mute swan terms, Bonnie is a pen, the designation for a female swan. At one year old, Bonnie is still completing the transition from her juvenile grey plumage to full white adult plumage.

What is Bonnie's personality like?

Bonnie is younger and more variable in temperament than Clyde. As a one-year-old swan still settling into her environment, she is curious and responsive to guests but can be less predictable than the more established Clyde. All guest interactions with Bonnie are supervised by professional handlers on site. She is present year-round at the property in Crown Point, Indiana.

Bonnie a 1-year-old female mute swan at Avanti The Bear Den Indiana

Clyde a 12-year-old male mute swan at Avanti The Bear Den Crown Point Indiana

Clyde, The Elder Swan

NameClyde

SexMale (cob)

Age12 years old

SpeciesMute Swan (Cygnus olor)

ResidencyYear-round

InteractionFeed allowed

Who is Clyde?

Clyde is a 12-year-old male mute swan and the more established of the two resident swans at Avanti The Bear Den. In mute swan terms, Clyde is a cob, the designation for a male swan. At 12 years old, Clyde has been at the property for years and is fully settled in his environment. He is larger than Bonnie and displays the prominent black knob at the base of the bill that is characteristic of mature male mute swans.

What is Clyde's personality like?

Clyde is the calmer and more predictable of the two swans. At 12 years old, he is experienced around people and responds consistently to guests during feeding interactions. He is present year-round at Avanti The Bear Den in Crown Point, Indiana, and is typically the first swan to approach during feeding time.

Feeding Bonnie and Clyde, The Hands-On Experience

Feeding Bonnie and Clyde is the only hands-on animal interaction available at Avanti The Bear Den. Every other animal experience at the sanctuary is observation only. This is the moment guests can reach out, offer food, and have a swan take it from their hand.

Can you feed Bonnie and Clyde by hand?

Yes. Guests staying overnight at Avanti The Bear Den are welcome to feed Bonnie and Clyde the resident mute swans by hand during their stay. This is the primary hands-on animal experience at the sanctuary. Professional animal handlers are present during all feeding interactions. The experience is calm, unhurried, and available to guests of all ages.

What do you feed the swans at Avanti The Bear Den?

The specific feed provided to Bonnie and Clyde during guest interactions is managed and provided by professional animal handlers at Avanti The Bear Den. Guests are given appropriate feed for the interaction. Handlers supervise all feeding to ensure Bonnie and Clyde receive food that supports their health and welfare. Guests do not bring their own food for the swans.

When does swan feeding happen?

Swan feeding at Avanti The Bear Den typically takes place in the evening as the light fades on the property. It is one of the quieter moments of a stay at the sanctuary. After spending the day watching Avanti the bear at morning feeding and moving through the property in the afternoon, the evening swan feeding is the moment that closes the day.

Guest feeding Bonnie and Clyde the mute swans at Avanti The Bear Den Indiana

Bonnie and Clyde at feeding time. Supervised by professional handlers. Open to all guests. Photography welcome.

Is it safe to feed the swans?

Yes. Swan feeding at Avanti The Bear Den is supervised by professional animal handlers present on site at all times. The property is USDA licensed for exhibiting animals and insured for animal experiences. Bonnie and Clyde are accustomed to human interaction. No guest incidents have ever occurred at this property involving the swans.

Can children feed Bonnie and Clyde?

Yes. There are no age restrictions at Avanti The Bear Den. Children are welcome to feed Bonnie and Clyde the resident mute swans during their stay. All feeding interactions are supervised by professional handlers on site. Swan feeding is consistently among the activities that younger guests respond to most strongly.

what a stay at Avanti The Bear Den looks like

Bonnie and Clyde Are Here Year Round

Unlike Avanti the black bear, who hibernates approximately December through February, Bonnie and Clyde do not hibernate. They are present at Avanti The Bear Den every month of the year. A winter visit to the sanctuary is still a genuine wildlife experience.

Are Bonnie and Clyde here when the bear is hibernating?

Yes. Bonnie and Clyde the mute swans are present at Avanti The Bear Den all twelve months including December, January, and February when Avanti the black bear is in torpor. During winter visits, guests can still feed the swans by hand and observe Ethel the elk on the property. The sanctuary does not close during bear hibernation.

What is available at Avanti The Bear Den in winter?

During winter months when Avanti the black bear hibernates, guests will find Bonnie and Clyde the resident mute swans and Ethel the elk on the property. Swan feeding by hand remains available. Elk observation continues. The private cabin is available for overnight stays. Guests booking December through February should expect a quieter visit centered on the swans and Ethel rather than the full three-animal experience.

Animal	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Bonnie and Clyde (Swans)	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Ethel (Elk)	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES
Avanti (Bear)	NO	NO	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	YES	NO

Guests who want to feed Bonnie and Clyde, observe Ethel, and watch Avanti at feeding times should book March through November. Guests who want to feed the swans and see the elk in a quieter setting should consider a December through February visit.

How the Swans Are Cared For

Bonnie and Clyde are permanent residents of Avanti The Bear Den. Their welfare is maintained to the same standard as every animal on the property.

How are Bonnie and Clyde cared for?

Bonnie and Clyde receive daily care from professional animal handlers at Avanti The Bear Den. Animal care across the property is supported through a partnership with Purdue University as a learning facility. The property is USDA licensed for exhibiting animals and fully insured for animal experiences. Bonnie and Clyde's diet and welfare are managed by handlers, not by guest interactions.

Do the swans have private space away from guests?

Yes. Like all animals at Avanti The Bear Den, Bonnie and Clyde have areas of the property where guests are not permitted. Their welfare and rest are non-negotiable. Guest feeding interactions happen on the swans' own terms, supervised by handlers. The property has never had a guest incident involving Bonnie or Clyde.

USDA Licensed

Licensed for exhibiting animals in the state of Indiana.

Purdue University Partner

Animal care supported through a Purdue University learning facility partnership.

No Guest Incidents

Zero incidents in the property's full operating history involving Bonnie, Clyde, or any animal.

about Avanti The Bear Den

Common Questions About Bonnie and Clyde

Yes. Feeding Bonnie and Clyde the resident mute swans is the primary hands-on animal interaction available at Avanti The Bear Den in Crown Point, Indiana. Guests are welcome to feed the swans by hand during their stay. Swan feeding typically takes place in the evening. All interactions are supervised by professional handlers on site.

Avanti The Bear Den is home to two resident mute swans named Bonnie and Clyde. Bonnie is a 1-year-old female mute swan. Clyde is a 12-year-old male mute swan. Both are permanent year-round residents of the wildlife sanctuary in Crown Point, Indiana. Guests are welcome to feed Bonnie and Clyde by hand during their stay.

Bonnie, the female mute swan at Avanti The Bear Den, is 1 year old. Clyde, the male mute swan, is 12 years old. Mute swans in managed sanctuary settings can live 20 to 30 years. Both Bonnie and Clyde are permanent year-round residents of the wildlife sanctuary in Crown Point, Indiana.

Yes. Bonnie and Clyde are accustomed to people and respond well to guests during feeding interactions. Clyde, at 12 years old, is established and calm around visitors. Bonnie, at 1 year old, is younger and more variable in temperament. All swan interactions at Avanti The Bear Den are supervised by professional animal handlers on site.

Bonnie and Clyde are mute swans, species Cygnus olor. Mute swans are the large white swans most commonly associated with parks and estates in North America and Europe. They are identifiable by their orange beaks with a distinctive black knob at the base. Both Bonnie and Clyde live year-round at Avanti The Bear Den in Crown Point, Indiana.

Yes. There are no age restrictions at Avanti The Bear Den. Children are welcome to feed Bonnie and Clyde the resident mute swans during their stay. All feeding interactions are supervised by professional animal handlers on site. Swan feeding is one of the most popular activities for younger guests at the wildlife sanctuary in Crown Point, Indiana.

Yes. Bonnie and Clyde the mute swans are permanent year-round residents of Avanti The Bear Den in Crown Point, Indiana. They are present all twelve months including winter, when Avanti the black bear hibernates approximately December through February. Guests visiting in winter will find Bonnie, Clyde, and Ethel the elk on the property.

Bonnie is a 1-year-old female mute swan. Clyde is a 12-year-old male mute swan. In mute swan terminology, the male is called a cob and the female is called a pen. Clyde is the larger and more established of the two. Bonnie is younger and still developing her adult temperament. Both live year-round at Avanti The Bear Den in Crown Point, Indiana.

Avanti The Bear Den in Crown Point, Indiana offers a supervised swan feeding experience approximately one hour southeast of Chicago. Guests staying overnight at the wildlife sanctuary can feed Bonnie and Clyde, resident mute swans, by hand during their stay. This is a private, supervised experience on a USDA licensed property.

Yes. Swan feeding at Avanti The Bear Den is supervised by professional animal handlers present on site at all times. The property is USDA licensed for exhibiting animals and insured for animal experiences. Bonnie and Clyde are accustomed to human interaction and have a strong record of safe guest encounters. No guest incidents have ever occurred at this property.

The specific feed provided to Bonnie and Clyde during guest interactions is managed by professional animal handlers at Avanti The Bear Den. Guests are provided appropriate feed for the interaction. Handlers supervise all feeding to ensure the swans receive food that supports their health and welfare.

Mute swans in the wild can be territorial, particularly during nesting season. Bonnie and Clyde at Avanti The Bear Den are managed sanctuary swans accustomed to human interaction. All guest encounters with Bonnie and Clyde are supervised by professional animal handlers. The property is USDA licensed and has never had a guest incident involving the swans.

common questions about Avanti The Bear Den

Bonnie and Clyde, Resident Mute Swans
at Avanti The Bear Den

Who Are Bonnie and Clyde?