GranderTheGander
Songster
- Feb 3, 2021
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They can certainly be seen as "sitting ducks", but you may be surprised how many ducks and geese live for years and years in such parks and do okay, even without shelter. They have lots of freedom, and people, especially children, do enjoy seeing and feeding them. They MUST be kept properly fed, though, not totally dependent on handouts from visitors.I understand this and realize that they could be worse off or dead. But, from what I found they are basically "sitting ducks" as is. There is no protection offered for them. They have just been removed from one situation to another.
As stated, most state parks focus on naturalization - domestic ducks do not fit into that category.
Yes, most state parks will get rid of them as soon as they are spotted, when tourists aren't around. The thing is, when you want to get the situation to end, those birds, who are living in the park at the current time, may be killed or end up in much worst places.
See, that's the really hard thing to accept and deal with when you have been seeing and caring for the birds for so long, and there has been no disease outbreak, or anything else catastrophic . Of course, in the long run it's for the best no domestics waterfowl live in parks, but the final solution can be very, very painful.