Just ducky

I know, I know. I've been way too scarce lately. I've been cleaning and culling and getting the house ready to show. A family came by this afternoon and seemed very interested. Ours is the first house they've seen, though, so they naturally want to look at more before making a decision.

I'm plumb tuckered out by now. I'll post more after I get about 48 hours' sleep. 8-}

Meanwhile, check out this amazing story that was in Saturday's Tallahassee Democrat. There's a small picture and a brief video with this BBC article.


Duck survives bullets, fridge
Animal left for dead lifts head after 2 days
By Julian Pecquet DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

Noni Beck, president and wildlife rehabilitator at Goose Creek Wildlife Sanctuary, has been handling wounded animals for years, but she was floored by the story of the wounded duck she was handed earlier this week.

The woman who dropped the ring-necked duck off for treatment told this story: After being shot in the wing and leg over the weekend, the bird was left in a hunter's refrigerator - only to raise its head when the hunter's wife opened the door Tuesday, Beck said.

The duck "had been in the fridge for two days," Beck said. "It's just kind of freaky."

The hunter did not answer a call for comment.

According to Laina Whipple, a receptionist at the Killearn Animal Hospital, the duck, a 1-pound, dark-brown female, was brought in Tuesday by the hunter's daughter.

The man's wife "was going to check on the refrigerator because it hadn't been working right," Whipple said, "and when she opened the door, it looked up at her. She freaked out and told the daughter to take it to the hospital right then and there."

Whipple said the hunter used the refrigerator as a holding place to keep game fresh before dressing it out and putting the meat in a freezer.

Staff at the hospital directed the young woman to Beck's sanctuary. Beck has been working with
David Hale, a veterinarian at Cross Creek Animal Clinic who has been treating the sanctuary's wounded wildlife for free for years, to try to save the bird.

Hale said the duck, which has a low metabolism, could have survived in a big enough refrigerator, especially if the door was opened and closed several times.

He said he could see how the hunter could have thought the duck was dead.

"This duck is very passive," Hale said. "It's not like trying to pick up a Muscovy at Lake Ella, where you put your life in your hands."

He gave the duck, which is battling an infection in its wing, a 75 percent chance of survival. But it probably won't be able to be released into the wild.

Hale said the refrigerator might have made the infection worse by lowering the duck's immune system.

"This shows how tough and adaptable wildlife are," he said. "This is an extremely tough duck with a lot of spirit to live."

Contact reporter Julian Pecquet at (850) 599-2307 or jjpecquet@tallahassee.com