Feathered friend ducks out for a mystery tour
It’s the riveting tale of a duck with a sticky beak, a zealous neighbour and the power of the bush telegraph.
It ended 40km and three days later in a script worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster when Emma Stone waddled back into her owner’s arms, none the worse for wear.
First there was the kidnapping . . . or rather the intervention, after the nosy 6-month-old Muscovy duck decided to have a looksie over her Rangiora neighbour’s fence last Wednesday.
Known for perching on roofs and fences to peer into neighbouring backyards, Emma had been lovingly hand-reared by her human mum Milly Ansley, 16, alongside Emma’s bigger brother, Andrew (Andy) Garfield.
So it was understandable that the docile duck’s friendliness might have been mistaken for a sign of sickness when she visited a concerned neighbour – who promptly took her into Christchurch to the nearest animal and bird hospital in Ferrymead.
Staff concluded Emma was someone’s pet, so she was taken to a staff member’s home in Tai Tapu on Friday for the weekend.
However, the dapper duck promptly decided to quit the joint in favour of the heady heights of Halswell.
Meanwhile, back in Rangiora the worried Ansley family joined Facebook community groups in and around Halswell to plead for sightings.
Eventually, a man came forward to say a duck matching Emma’s description had been sitting outside his house near Lincoln for more than 30 hours.
The pair dashed to the country road the duck had been spotted beside, wound down their windows, called and then waited.
They were shocked when Emma emerged from under a willow tree, cooing happily as she climbed straight into the car and her cage.
Once home, the adventurous bird had a joyful reunion with Andy, who had been pining and demanding to stay inside with the family for comfort.
The siblings are back to being inseparable, and Emma is back to being queen of her realm.