Florida residents spooked by feral duck terrorizing neighbourhood
Article content
Terrified Floridians are ducking for cover from an angry bird that is constantly attacking residents — even sending one to hospital.
A feral Muscovy duck has been wandering the streets of a Cape Coral neighbourhood displaying aggressive behaviour and terrorizing people with sneak attacks and attempted break-ins, Fox 4 News reported.
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Florida residents spooked by feral duck terrorizing neighbourhood Back to video
tap here to see other videos from our team.
James Sepulveda, an area resident for nearly three decades, was one of the duck’s victims.
“I sit on my porch, 7 to 7:30 at this time of the year to catch a sunset, you know, some sun, and I had my eyes closed. All of a sudden, I felt a jab on my hand, and it was bleeding,” Sepulveda told Fox 4 News, displaying his bandaged hand.
The resident allowed the outlet to film inside his home and Fox 4 News promptly captured footage of the duck threateningly lurking outside the door.
“He’s waiting for me,” Sepulveda said, cracking the door to reveal the black bird.
Another resident, Richard Guy, told Fox 4 News that the feral duck attacked him after he tried to scare the animal away.
“I stood up and I made some noises, thinking it would go away,” he told the outlet, adding, “Next thing I know, its wings come out, you know, like it’s going to attack me.”
Reporter Bella Line was also chased by the duck after arriving to interview residents.
“A Muscovy duck has been chasing people who live on this street, and when they couldn’t get the help they needed, they called me, and I saw the duck’s rage firsthand,” she said.
Sepulveda told Fox 4 News he wants to “get rid” of the duck, noting, “They’re actually committing injury to individuals.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said that Muscovy ducks aren’t native to the state but instead come from “Mexico, Central America, South America, and some parts of Texas.”
The agency said it has specific regulations in place due to the problems the ducks can create, including “competition with native species, damage to property, and transmission of disease.” But it can’t eliminate them on residents’ behalf.
“The FWC does not remove nuisance Muscovy ducks,” according to the agency’s website. “Removal of ducks can be done by the landowner or by a hired nuisance wildlife trapper with landowner permission.”
Muscovy ducks, the FWC told Fox 4 News, “are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but the US Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a Control Order (USFWS 50 CFR 21.54) allowing control of Muscovy ducks and their nests and eggs in areas outside their natural range.”
RECOMMENDED VIDEO
tap here to see other videos from our team.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.