Very sad, friendly duck at lake strangled (graphic pics!)

[desertdarlene]

One of the friendliest ducks at Lake Murray was found strangled by fishing line this morning. She was actually being towed around by another female before the other female was cut free. She used to be so friendly and happy to see people, even eating out of people's hands.

Anyway, you can read more about it in my article http://www.examiner.com/nature-in-san-diego/friendly-duck-found-strangled-by-fishing-line

She was one of 11 little ducklings. Here's a memorium of her, beginning with baby pictures. At the end are some pretty graphic pics of her dead with the fishing line around her.

Here they all are running up to me at about 2 months old (4 survived out of 11):

Graphic pics:

 

[jdywntr]

Very sad. I so hate it when I'm fishing and I see people just throw extra line on the ground.

 

[featherfinder]

Thats really sad!

Poor duckie. I wish something could have been done and that people would not leave stuff laying around like that. Must of been a painful and slow death for her to.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

how could someone just leave their extra line there?! Thats horrible!

 

[desertdarlene]

And, it was a LOT of extra line, not just a little. There may have been a slim chance that she would have survived if she wasn't attached to another duck. Someone told me that it's the inexperienced shore fishermen who do this, but I'm not sure.

She was adorable, constantly doing "baby talk" and running up to people, though she mellowed out the last couple of weeks. Her sisters and brother are still super friendly, at least to me. It was such a needless accident. We have so few small females there to begin with.

 

[Anarchy82]

That is the sad part about humans. They never think about what their actions could be doing. Not only to each other, but especially to animals. That had to be such a scary thing for the poor duck, who was stated to be a kind loving duck.

Thats when you take the person responsible, tie their hands behind their back. And throw them into a pile of string. See how they like it.

 

[bayyjayy]

You should write an impassioned letter to the editor for your local paper. May not do any good, but at least you may get a few people who stop and think the next time they consider leaving fishing line behind.

SO sad!!!!

 

[desertdarlene]

I wrote an article and may be passing around the photos. I don't know what can be done as the lake does everything it can to keep people from leaving their lines and equipment around. There are just some people who are totally clueless and careless who will never get it.

I hope I never see this happen again. I didn't have to see the duck, but I'm glad I did as I would have always wondered what happened to her or who the dead duck was.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

That is sad.

Here she made it, four of eleven, only to die senselessly because of someone's carelessness. What a horrible way to die.

 

[silkiechicken]

Some people are clueless... there is this one fishing pond that is stocked and there are multiple receptacles for putting used or broken fishing line into. MULTIPLE spots and this is a TINY pond... yet, there is still line on the ground to pick up from others.