Aa
Upsetting day for me...
As you all know I am a great lover of animals and the beauty of nature but I saw a sad side of it on my own street in the middle of the city today.:(
I was getting ready to go out and take the puppy dog to the vet to get some relaxing meds due to her fear of thunder. All of a sudden I heard wailing and screaming in the front street. I threw on some clothes and made my way outside to find that a mother Mallard and her 10 ducklings had been making their way to a new lake just as they did last year. Unfortunately there was a man driving a truck and was in a little too much of a hurry and he killed 3 of the little ducklings. It was very sad but what happened after was really upsetting to me. There were two women who saw this happen and they were tearing a strip off this poor guy like you wouldn't believe! The poor guy certainly didn't get up this morning planning on hurting baby ducks for cryin out loud...it was clearly an accident and he was devastated.
Then these two women get the brilliant idea that they are going to "catch" the mother duck and her babies and put them in a box and take them to the spca! What a joke! I told them to leave them alone and mama duck will know what to do but oh no they had to interfere! Well, needless to say they could no more catch that mama duck than fly themselves and although they had all the babies except one in a box the last little baby was elusive. I was standing talking to the fellow that ran over the babies and we were watching these two women crawling under a huge pine tree and all you could see were their rather large back sides sticking out! Well, all of a sudden the little baby darted out from the tree leaving the big butts under the tree and he ran back to mama Duck. While these two "do-gooders" were still busy, we grabbed the box of babies and herded mama and baby across the street and let the ones in the box go and in no time they were following mama down the street towards the lake! Well, to make a long story short, the fellow and another neighbor proceeded to follow them towards the lake and stopped traffic so that they could cross safely and they made it to the lake no problem! The "do-gooders" were incensed that we let the babies go and insisted that they should be seen by a vet...I said, if you can catch em' now, be my guest!
The mama Mallard is now swimming in the lake with the rest of her babies and the fellow and I looked after the other 3, burying them in my backyard. The do-gooders were so busy being hysterical they didn't even see us do it and were very angry that we touched them but I wasn't going to leave them in the street! One of the do-gooders even tried to call the police and were babbling about charging him with animal cruelty!! What a joke...I have worked with conservation many times and it's always the same story...if you think the animals can still survive on their own, Don't Touch Them!!! There was nothing that could be done for the other three but these 7 are going to be just fine. Of course this was all very upsetting but it teaches us all a few good lessons I think...Slow Down in Residential Areas (it could have been a child), Don't Touch Wild Animals (most of the time they will do better without our interference), Don't get Hysterical in Situations such as this! (if they had stopped and thought about what they were doing they would have realized how silly it was to try to catch a wild duck and they would have seen that the mama was only trying to get near her babies squeaking in the box)
Afterwards I went to the vet and got the meds for my puppy dog and I asked the vet if what I though was right and he agreed...he laughingly stated that he didn't think that the spca adopted out wild Mallard ducks anyway!
Incidentally, LAST year I just happened to look out my window and I couldn't believe my eyes but there was a female Mallard leading 12 baby ducklings down the road! I followed them with my camera all the way to the lake and they made it just fine even without me directing traffic. This tragedy this year was just the luck of the draw and unfortunately the babies were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I posted a pic of the mama and babies from last year.
I was getting ready to go out and take the puppy dog to the vet to get some relaxing meds due to her fear of thunder. All of a sudden I heard wailing and screaming in the front street. I threw on some clothes and made my way outside to find that a mother Mallard and her 10 ducklings had been making their way to a new lake just as they did last year. Unfortunately there was a man driving a truck and was in a little too much of a hurry and he killed 3 of the little ducklings. It was very sad but what happened after was really upsetting to me. There were two women who saw this happen and they were tearing a strip off this poor guy like you wouldn't believe! The poor guy certainly didn't get up this morning planning on hurting baby ducks for cryin out loud...it was clearly an accident and he was devastated.
Then these two women get the brilliant idea that they are going to "catch" the mother duck and her babies and put them in a box and take them to the spca! What a joke! I told them to leave them alone and mama duck will know what to do but oh no they had to interfere! Well, needless to say they could no more catch that mama duck than fly themselves and although they had all the babies except one in a box the last little baby was elusive. I was standing talking to the fellow that ran over the babies and we were watching these two women crawling under a huge pine tree and all you could see were their rather large back sides sticking out! Well, all of a sudden the little baby darted out from the tree leaving the big butts under the tree and he ran back to mama Duck. While these two "do-gooders" were still busy, we grabbed the box of babies and herded mama and baby across the street and let the ones in the box go and in no time they were following mama down the street towards the lake! Well, to make a long story short, the fellow and another neighbor proceeded to follow them towards the lake and stopped traffic so that they could cross safely and they made it to the lake no problem! The "do-gooders" were incensed that we let the babies go and insisted that they should be seen by a vet...I said, if you can catch em' now, be my guest!
The mama Mallard is now swimming in the lake with the rest of her babies and the fellow and I looked after the other 3, burying them in my backyard. The do-gooders were so busy being hysterical they didn't even see us do it and were very angry that we touched them but I wasn't going to leave them in the street! One of the do-gooders even tried to call the police and were babbling about charging him with animal cruelty!! What a joke...I have worked with conservation many times and it's always the same story...if you think the animals can still survive on their own, Don't Touch Them!!! There was nothing that could be done for the other three but these 7 are going to be just fine. Of course this was all very upsetting but it teaches us all a few good lessons I think...Slow Down in Residential Areas (it could have been a child), Don't Touch Wild Animals (most of the time they will do better without our interference), Don't get Hysterical in Situations such as this! (if they had stopped and thought about what they were doing they would have realized how silly it was to try to catch a wild duck and they would have seen that the mama was only trying to get near her babies squeaking in the box)
Afterwards I went to the vet and got the meds for my puppy dog and I asked the vet if what I though was right and he agreed...he laughingly stated that he didn't think that the spca adopted out wild Mallard ducks anyway!
Incidentally, LAST year I just happened to look out my window and I couldn't believe my eyes but there was a female Mallard leading 12 baby ducklings down the road! I followed them with my camera all the way to the lake and they made it just fine even without me directing traffic. This tragedy this year was just the luck of the draw and unfortunately the babies were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I posted a pic of the mama and babies from last year.
We must have been writing at the same time honey! Sorry I missed that!
But seriously, I did nothing more than anyone else that was blessed with the knowledge of what the right thing is to do in a case like this would do. (that was a mouthful!)
Thanks though sweetie...I appreciate the kudos.
Loves ya,
Rena
But seriously, I did nothing more than anyone else that was blessed with the knowledge of what the right thing is to do in a case like this would do. (that was a mouthful!)
Thanks though sweetie...I appreciate the kudos.
Loves ya,
Rena
Thank goodness for turtle lovers!!! :):):) That was a wonderful thing to do Moke and I am sure the turtle appreciates it too!
Quix...Mama was a good one and it was easy to see that her main worry was about her remaining ducklings because she was not going to leave them. I wish they would make animal sciences a subject that everyone has to take in school! We would live in much more harmony together if we all had to learn more about the creatures we share this lovely planet with.
Rena
Quix...Mama was a good one and it was easy to see that her main worry was about her remaining ducklings because she was not going to leave them. I wish they would make animal sciences a subject that everyone has to take in school! We would live in much more harmony together if we all had to learn more about the creatures we share this lovely planet with.
Rena
This was truly a tragic accident. I feel for you, Sweetie. What you did was a great thing. You are an amazing woman...
Love Ya,
Ada
Love Ya,
Ada
Poignant story and you did absolutely the right thing. The do-gooder's actions clearly did nothing but harm. Birds and other animals have such large families because nature is cruel and not all survive. The loss of some is part of life and the Mama will take care of the babies that are left.
Quix
Quix
Aw hon, I know exactly how you feel. It is sad when any wildlife is killed do to motorists. You did do right though in helping them get back to their mama and those do-gooders need to get a lesson on the true meaning of wildlife. Your recommendations are good ones for all to read.
Maybe this will make your day a little better though. I myself was not having a good day but on my way home from my parents place, a painted turtle was trying to cross a busy county road. A guy had just driven over it but thank goodness the tires missed it. I pulled over and put my 4ways on and picked it up and took it across the road and into the long grass. It was a simple thing but it made my day a little better.
Hugs
Moki
Maybe this will make your day a little better though. I myself was not having a good day but on my way home from my parents place, a painted turtle was trying to cross a busy county road. A guy had just driven over it but thank goodness the tires missed it. I pulled over and put my 4ways on and picked it up and took it across the road and into the long grass. It was a simple thing but it made my day a little better.
Hugs
Moki
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