Black swans cry after man steps and crushes their eggs for no reason in China

Two black swans learnt an unfortunate, painful lesson on how human beings can be so cruel, for reason at all.

The swans, which live in Yangzhou's Slender West Lake in China, saw a man snatching their eggs.

The man, who appeared to be in 20s, vaulted over a fence, wearing a surgical mask and a cap.

He then picked up some swan eggs, prompting the two black swans to try and defend them by pecking at him with their beaks.

The man, however, simply kicked the swans, injuring one of their wings, reports Shanghaiist.

A number of onlookers started shouting at him to return the eggs, while snapping photos of his deed.

The man, however, responded by stomping on the eggs.

An elderly man had to pull him out of the area to prevent him from causing further damage.

Heartbreaking photos show the two swans sitting in despair next to their crushed eggs.

One raised its head skywards and cried, while the other lowered its head to the ground.

The man managed to flee the scene before security personnel arrived.

The park has promised to step up security measures, and that neither swan was seriously injured in the attack.

Black swan eggs are not edible, cannot be incubated again and may burst in hot temperatures.