SALEM — It took a whole flock of Salem State College students to save a single swan.

About a dozen students, many on their way to evening classes, led a lost swan all the way from the bustling central campus to the safety of a pond on Thursday night, crossing two busy streets along the way.

The rescue began at 5:45 p.m. — rush hour — when students formed a human chain to keep the swan from waddling into Loring Avenue at a spot near the Salem Diner.

"The traffic was insane at that point," said senior April Holland, one of the rescuers.

The swan made its way a short distance up the sidewalk to a bike path near Raymond Road when Patrolman William Riley arrived in a cruiser. He told the students there was a pond only a short distance away.

With Riley stopping traffic, the students tried to figure out how to get the swan to cross the street. Fortunately, it took only a little prompting to set the big bird in motion.

"It crossed at the crosswalk," Holland said. "I wish I had a picture of this, but as we crossed the street the swan went first," and the students followed "like little ducklings."

Once the swan was safely across Loring Avenue, the police officer got back in his cruiser and drove around the corner to Canal Street. For a second time, traffic was stopped as the swan scooted across the street and headed into the marsh toward Rosie's Pond.

The students were impressed with the swan's ability to set a goal and reach it.

"It obviously knew there was a pond over there," Holland said.