COMMENT OF THE DAY: THE MEYER PARK SHOPPING CENTER’S SITTING DUCKS “Is anyone but me concerned about the poor ducks I see constantly killed in the Walmart parking lot at MeyerPark? I saw another one yesterday, killed with 2 of his buddies near his body, waiting to be killed by the throngs of people there. Their breeding ground is becoming a Kohls and they are unsafe, in danger, and being killed off. The management company should pay to have them relocated before they are all killed.” [Sharron Reilly, commenting on Comment of the Day: Mystery Neighbor for the Meyer Park Walmart?]
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I know of several local Chinese restaurants that can find a home for these ducks. ;)
You could have picked them up and taken them to safety yourself but it is always easier to pass the buck. Maybe posting this made you feel better.
Dear Bleeding Heart,
The answer to your question is “No.”
-LG-
Revival market, fresh Texan free range ducks.. Sad to see people can’t brake for ducks, they are kind of cute..
@CM: I’d be impressed if the clientele at Meyer Park managed to grasp the concept of not throwing bags of trash out of their car windows, much less intentionally avoiding wildlife in the road.
Sharron, I have no idea why a business would use a live animal for “ornamentation” in such a hazardous situation anyway. If it breathes, has a circulatory system and nerve endings, it can feel pain. If anyone finds the idea of injuring or killing such a creature/being amusing, that pretty much tells me everything I need to know about them.
Contact the management company. If the ducks were purchased for ambience purposes, they are considered property and touching them could lead to proscution. If they simply congregated there, the wonderful Texas Wildlife Rehabilitation Coalition can probably point you in the right direction once they know all the details: http://www.twrc-houston.org
The Meyer Park Wal-Mart (713-551-9148) told me it was the ducks’ natural migratory route and they wished that people would slow down in the parking lot. The store manager couldn’t find the management company’s phone #. I called the TWRC and they said basically the same thing. They also said if there is an injured duck to bring it in and they’ll take care of it. Finally I went on Wal-Mart’s website and wrote them an email saying the least they could do is rope off the area until the ducks leave. Please email Wal-Mart and ask them to support the request. The ducks thank you for your help.
Call Obama.
I would bet a dollar to a donut that these are domesticated Muscovy Ducks. Muscovy Ducks are non-migratory and are frequently bought to stock artificial ponds (they are not native to Texas). They are not very agile and could easily get run over by an inattentive driver. The only other duck that might be in Texas in July is a black bellied whistling duck. Black bellied whistling ducks are far more agile than a muscovy. Unless they get fed constantly (like the ones in Hermann Park), they will keep a good distance from humans.
My guess is that the Muscovy ducks are waddling out into the parking lot to forage through all the garbage the Walmart customers leave in the parking lot. There is little anyone can do to stop them as they can get up in the air enough to get over any kind of barrier that could be put up between the lot and the pond. A nice duck crossing sign might be all that can be done.
Ummmm. Muscovy Ducks make good eatin. They aren’t as gamey as some of our other native ducks. I’ve never eaten anything but a farm raised muscovy…never tried your park/city type.
The wife won’t eat wild ducks unless its teal, but she’ll chow down on them store bought muscovy. Anyways, hope somebody kills them birds and eats them. If you do, let us know how it taste. Them birds might be eating garbage and chemicals, so watch out. Thanks
BC
Another Wal-Mart thread…just what Swamplot needs.