HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. -- Bird activists in the Bay area are looking for a duck that was struck with a dart, now lodged in its neck.
- Duck with dart in its neck spotted in Carrollwood area
- Bird activists are searching for the duck so they can help it
- FWC is conducting an investigation
Ted Esposito first spotted the Muscovy duck with a dart in it’s neck in his Carrollwood yard on Saturday morning.
“My first thought was worry and panic because I feel like he was probably in a lot of pain,” Esposito said.
He got in touch with Birds in Helping Hands Wildlife Rescue, but by the time they got to the area where the duck was spotted, it had already flown away.
“That dart is going to get caught on something and it could cause some very serious problems besides infection,” said Shelley Vickery, director of Birds in Helping Hands Wildlife Rescue.
According to FWC, federal regulations for Muscovy ducks “allow control by landowners, wildlife management agencies, and tenants, agents, or employees without federal or state permits. Birds may be humanely euthanized, but it is illegal to capture the birds and release them elsewhere.”
FWC representatives tell us in this case though, darts are not an acceptable method of control, and they are investigating this incident.
“I’m hoping whoever did this stops and sees that it’s really a bad thing to do and a bad way to treat animals,” Esposito said.
Now they’re asking people in the area to keep an eye out for this duck so they can get it help.
“If you’re nearby we could go out and help we are one of the few that do specialize in duck rescue,” Vickery said.
FWC also encourages the public to report sick or injured wildlife or wildlife violations to FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922. Callers can remain anonymous.