Swan reunited with beloved paddleboat

Petra, a black swan, swims next to a boat shaped like an outsized white swan after she was taken back to the Aasee in Muenster, Germany, Friday, March 28, 2008. In 2006, Petra, became so attached to the boat that she refused to leave its side. Officials at a zoo in Muenster finally parted bird and boat last week after Petra settled down with a real white swan. But the romance was short-lived. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

MUENSTER, Germany—Petra the black swan has been reunited with her beloved swan-shaped paddleboat after a failed romance with a real bird.

Officials at a Muenster zoo where Petra has been spending the winter took her to a nearby lake Friday and released her next to the paddleboat -- shaped like a giant white swan.

Petra became so attached to the boat back in 2006 that she refused to leave its side. When winter came around, she and the boat were taken into the zoo.

In recent months, Petra had struck up a relationship with a real white swan. However, he abandoned her last weekend -- and officials decided to reunite her with the boat, which was returned to its owner only last week.

Zoo director Joerg Adler said it was too early to tell whether Petra will stay with the boat this time.