Mass duck killing scheduled for Ocala, FL park

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guesswhatchickenbutt

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10 Years
Mar 5, 2009
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Central FL
Hi - I'm a chicken owner now, but a few years ago I was a duck owner with 11 pet ducks... so I have a special place in my heart for ducks. When I ran across this story on our local online news website and thought it was very very sad and wanted to share. It's such a shame they can't find another solution for these poor birds
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http://www.wftv.com/news/19405318/detail.html

City Plans To Kill Over 200 Ducks In Park
Posted: 9:38 am EDT May 8, 2009
Updated: 6:14 pm EDT May 8, 2009


OCALA, Fla. -- Children love to feed the ducks in an Ocala neighborhood park, but the city wants the ducks dead. They call the Muscovy ducks a nuisance and there are more than 200 of them in Tuskawilla Park in Ocala.

Families told Eyewitness News that killing the ducks is just cruel.

The ducks of Tuskawilla Park may seem harmless enough, but city officials say their population has gotten completely out of control; the only thing legally that can be done is euthanization.

Young kids like Cody Bland are fascinated by the Muscovy ducks in the downtown Ocala park, but soon, the city says, most of them will be gone, euthanized in an effort to get rid of them.

"I was horrified that they would just kill the duck," parent Denise Bland told Eyewitness News. "There has got to be some other solution than just euthanasia."

But the city and the state agree that killing the ducks is about the only solution. Parks officials say they are contaminating the lakes and many are sick or injured.

"Florida is unfortunately inundated with non-native species, both plants and wildlife," said Joy Hill, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.

That is a key issue. Florida law protects native species, but restricts the release of non-native species. The Muscovy ducks are native to South America, so they cannot be relocated to the wild locally and officials say they are competing with native ducks and there are few of them at the park.

The euthanization would most likely be handled by the Department of Agriculture using a humane method like a lethal injection. Park regulars said the city should leave the ducks alone.

"No, I don't think they should get rid of them. Too many people come down here and enjoy the park with the ducks," parkgoer Barbara Nagle said.

Little Cody's mom hopes it's not to late too save them.

"I think they'll probably come to their senses and maybe try to find another alternative that will maybe save the ducks," Denise Bland said.

The duck eradication won't be a permanent solution, because there are mother ducks in their nests waiting for ducklings to hatch. So it is likely that the process have to be repeated.
 
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That is the most horrible thing...They no way have to kill them so my people love those types of ducks ...They could find them homes..They make good pets and wonderful mothers to babies...I think the people who want to kill them has lost the minds!!

I dont know how anyone who with NO good reason could agree to kill those ducks..How can they sleep at night or look at theirself in the mirror...ITS SICK.....
 
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if florida thinks that the MUSCOVIES are a problem, what about the inguanas living wild there, or pythons, or monitors that kill and eat cats and dogs?

they don't do anything about those, but DUCKS?!, come on!
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If a backyarder did this they would be in deep crap.I heard that Fl is also going to kill of peafowl near Bear Foot Bay.What is wrong with catching them and releasing them in a location that will be good for all?It seems like killing off things are all fish and game know how to control things these days.
Why can't they ask people that would like to have them,come and get them?This is just plain and simple cruel!
In N.H.,Tony.
 
I hope there is somebody at the Last Muscovy Round Up with a video camera to record the fools trying to catch ducks so they can kill them. Video of the mothers fighting to save their ducklings would be great PR for when the fools are up for reelection. The other ducks will take to the sky and water. I wonder what plan they have to prevent that? I would try to sneak up on them during the dead of night but Muscovies will roost in trees if available.
We had a similar Round up of Canada geese (a protected native species) at a fancy Country Club community. With their political pull they were not only able to get the required permits but also crews from the DEC to do the dirty work for them. The big difference is that the geese had to be relocated not destroyed. Geese molt and become flightless when the goslings are hatched which makes the round up much easier. The public was barred from the community while the dirty work was being done but some of the geese loving residents managed to get videos. When the videos hit You Tube, the DEC couldn’t stand the heat and informed the rich %&*$%s that it was the last time for a round up and told (and supplied permits) to the residents to perform their own birth control. Guess what, when the feathers grew out many of the geese returned to the place they called home.
 
Considering people would happily adopt these ducks, killing them seems extreme. Even if you insist on having them dead, at LEAST processes them and use the food!!! Morons.
 
I can understand slightly thinning a population that has become too burdensome on its environment, i.e., euthanizing the wounded and sick. This is a little out of hand though. FL is one of the worst states when it comes to the ecology of crazy. They're so focused on keeping everything in a stasis that they forget what a crud place the world would be if everything stayed the same forever. Funny that it's in Ocala. Modern horses are non-native species in North America. Are they gonna slaughter all those hooved moneymakers they keep down there?
 
Good point! I wish I had thought of horses. We actually have over population of wild horses on some of our barrier islands here in NC. They are rounded up and sorted, the unfit are 'put down', excess stock is auctioned off (background check of buyers required) and the thinned herds turned loose. Seems to work well for all concerned.
 
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