Police get called to a lot of things — robberies, crashes, even an occasional dog bite.

But a call in Highland Park, Illinois north of Chicago this week will be the talk of the police department there for years to come.

In the early-morning hours Monday during rush hour on U.S. 41 in Highland Park, Officer Greg Mendoza said drivers were cordial as he responded to an emergency call.

The call?

"Two swans in distress in traffic," Mendoza said.

The swans — a male and a female — had wandered over from the nearby Hybernia subdivision, a private development. They had left their peaceful home and gotten a taste of the morning commute — stuck inside the shoulder of a southbound lane.

"Definitely the safety of that northbound traffic was my primary concern, because they were looking to hop on over, and the stretching of the neck," said Mendoza.

So Officer Mendoza put on his gloves and got to work. The male swan of the pair was handed his way.

"I've handled a wild turkey before, maybe a snapping turtle, deer, you know, your raccoon calls," said Mendoza, "but never a swan."

The officer helped the swans until the owner showed up — a company that supplied the birds to the Hybernia subdivision.

"We kept them at bay, and the end result — positive one," said Mendoza, "seeing that our two swans were returned to their habitat."

Drivers kept their cool, but there was definitely a honk or two before the swans made it home.

"There was a little going back and forth between the he and she," said Mendoz.

The city credits the officer and the emergency caller with keeping the "beautiful birds safe."