It
seems so innocent, some think even kind, to feed bread to
the “park ducks.” International
Bird Rescue Research Center (IBRRC) in Cordelia, California
wants people to know that domestic ducks and geese need proper
diets as a steady diet of bread and crackers can kill them.
Easter ducklings may end up being abandoned in public parks,
which is against the law in many states, and for good reasons.
The problem worsens this time of year.
With Easter coming, some
pet shops, even ones in urban areas and in the middle of
large cities, will sell live ducklings,
chicks and bunnies, with no regard for the animals, the environment
or the people buying them. Sometimes ducklings and chicks are
given to children as prizes in Easter egg hunts, although this
is illegal in some states. Most of these animals will live
short miserable lives. Easter baskets of live animals are not
only cruel, but also dangerous, as children can become infected
with Salmonella by handling them.
When the novelty wears off and the reality of caring for an
animal with special needs sets in, these animals, typically
bought “on impulse” will end up abandoned in a
local park to fend for themselves.
Many people think that all ducks and geese are the same. But
the reality is that domestic ducks and geese have been breed
to be slow and flightless. They can’t fly to escape the
jaws of dogs, raccoons and other predators. When food supplies
run out, they can’t fly to other lakes and ponds like
wild ducks and geese. Or, the problem goes the other way, with
overpopulation occurring. Well meaning people feed them bread,
crackers, popcorn and other junk food that fills them up, but
offers no nutritional value, leading to malnutrition. As they
weaken they are more prone to disease. Botulism, Newcastle
disease, duck virus enteritis (DVE), and avian cholera are
all diseases that domestic ducks can spread to wild flocks.
Outbreaks have caused the deaths of thousands of birds at a
time.”
The center’s rehabilitation professionals see the end
results of this practice of selling live ducklings at Easter. “One
of the biggest problems is hybridization,” says Karen
Benzel, Public Affairs Director of IBRRC. Wildlife rescue centers
readily accept wild native ducks that are injured or orphaned,
but will not take domestic ducks, or hybrids, which result
when domestics mate with wild ducks, like mallards.
IBRRC, which manages two rehabilitation centers
in California, specializes in waterfowl and aquatic birds
and in educating
the public to the problems they face in the environment.
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press releases
Media contact:
Karen Benzel, IBRRC, (831) 622-7588, karen@ibrrc.org
Jennifer Mack, Auto Club, (415) 565-2315, jennifer_mack@csaa.com
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