Domestic ducks were ‘dumped’ in local pond, town officials say
NEWTOWN — Town officials are expressing concern after six domestic ducks were “intentionally dumped” in a local pond.
The ducks, the town’s animal control department said in a Facebook post, likely had little to no survival skills when dumped by Warner Pond in the Old Mill Road area.
Carolee Mason, an animal control officer, said she received a call about the wandering ducks. Mason was able to find four of the original six. Despite searching the area, she was unable to find the other two.
“We’re not sure what happened to them at all,” Mason said. “They disappeared.”
She’s not exactly sure where the ducks are, but a predator could have taken them she said. The ducks, which she described as white Pekins, are an American domestic breed that cannot fly away.
“Domestic ducks do not have the necessary skills to survive in the wild,” the post read. “Do not buy or adopt a duck if you won’t want to keep it when it grows up,” it emphasized with a series of exclamation marks.
Mason said this kind of animal dumping is something not often reported but that she is sure “there are a lot of people who dump them and the predators get to them before we can.”
She explained that if someone wants pet chickens or ducks, they have to be in a full shelter with a top, fencing and security from predatory species like foxes, coyotes and bobcats.
“It’s up to us to keep them safe and a lot of people don’t do that,” she added.