New York City is home to an array of amazing wildlife--which oftentimes needs our help. We are a team of rescuers and wildlife rehabbers who focus on waterfowl, always ready to save injured geese, swans, and other wildlife.
What many New Yorkers don't realize is that living among the wild waterfowl throughout the city are countless numbers of dumped domestic ducks. They are either products of school hatching projects, rejected Easter pets, or bought from live poultry markets and then released into the wild, whether it be parks, lakes, or ponds. The problem: they do not have the survival skills of wild birds. Unlike their wild counterparts (such as mallards ), domestic ducks cannot fly, or fly minimally at best, and so they easily fall prey to predators. They also do not have the skills to find food on their own, unable to forage for plant matter and bugs that the wild ducks eat. To top it off, these domestic ducks must endure harsh weather conditions and, without the ability to fly, are stranded on frozen ponds come winter when all of the flighted birds leave to find open water. The domestic ducks are left alone and vulnerable on the frozen ice. Some will die of dehydration; others are killed by predators. Some literally freeze into the pond itself. They must be rescued--and fast.
We have been inundated with the high number of dumped domestic ducks needing rescue this year. As we continue with this work, we find that we must continually come up with different strategies to rescue, depending on the size of area, the amount of hiding spots these ducks can take advantage of, and how long they have been out there. All the while, we keep them alive by feeding them nutritious food on a daily basis.
Waterfowl in general are not easy to rescue, but it is even more difficult to come to the aid of dumped domestic ducks, who are terrified and can be very wary of humans. Their rescue often requires teams of people, along with plenty of equipment, including kayaks, nets, waders, binoculars, pens, and more.
We are in dire need of two specific tools that we believe will help us rescue these animals under very difficult circumstances:
1) Super Talon Animal Catcher - $1,686.00
This safe and humane animal catcher is the ideal system for containment of one or more animals. Each net is equipped with a series of steel grapples that lock the net around the animal/s to be captured, making it virtually impossible for them to shake off the net or run far.
https://www.animal-care.com/product/super-talon-animal-catcher/
2) E-Z Catch Remote Fire Trap (with Remote Trap Trigger) $374.95
This trap was designed for on-site, manned capture of targeted animals, including birds. https://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/animal/WCSRC36-REMOTE.html
Helping these defenseless ducks and other wildlife means the world to us. They desperately need our help, and with these tools we can rescue them quicker--thus minimizing their suffering and ensuring that they do not perish before they can be saved.
While we need to help educate folks on why dumping ducks (or any domestic animal) is wrong and a death sentence--and we wait for the day to come when people understand the plight of these animals--in the meantime, we can help get them out of dangerous situations even sooner...with your help!
We would be eternally grateful for any help you can offer so that we can help these abandoned animals have a chance at a better life!
With gratitude,
Jessica Zafonte, Kaitlyn Zafonte, and Mary Beth Artz
What many New Yorkers don't realize is that living among the wild waterfowl throughout the city are countless numbers of dumped domestic ducks. They are either products of school hatching projects, rejected Easter pets, or bought from live poultry markets and then released into the wild, whether it be parks, lakes, or ponds. The problem: they do not have the survival skills of wild birds. Unlike their wild counterparts (such as mallards ), domestic ducks cannot fly, or fly minimally at best, and so they easily fall prey to predators. They also do not have the skills to find food on their own, unable to forage for plant matter and bugs that the wild ducks eat. To top it off, these domestic ducks must endure harsh weather conditions and, without the ability to fly, are stranded on frozen ponds come winter when all of the flighted birds leave to find open water. The domestic ducks are left alone and vulnerable on the frozen ice. Some will die of dehydration; others are killed by predators. Some literally freeze into the pond itself. They must be rescued--and fast.
We have been inundated with the high number of dumped domestic ducks needing rescue this year. As we continue with this work, we find that we must continually come up with different strategies to rescue, depending on the size of area, the amount of hiding spots these ducks can take advantage of, and how long they have been out there. All the while, we keep them alive by feeding them nutritious food on a daily basis.
Waterfowl in general are not easy to rescue, but it is even more difficult to come to the aid of dumped domestic ducks, who are terrified and can be very wary of humans. Their rescue often requires teams of people, along with plenty of equipment, including kayaks, nets, waders, binoculars, pens, and more.
We are in dire need of two specific tools that we believe will help us rescue these animals under very difficult circumstances:
1) Super Talon Animal Catcher - $1,686.00
This safe and humane animal catcher is the ideal system for containment of one or more animals. Each net is equipped with a series of steel grapples that lock the net around the animal/s to be captured, making it virtually impossible for them to shake off the net or run far.
https://www.animal-care.com/product/super-talon-animal-catcher/
2) E-Z Catch Remote Fire Trap (with Remote Trap Trigger) $374.95
This trap was designed for on-site, manned capture of targeted animals, including birds. https://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/animal/WCSRC36-REMOTE.html
Helping these defenseless ducks and other wildlife means the world to us. They desperately need our help, and with these tools we can rescue them quicker--thus minimizing their suffering and ensuring that they do not perish before they can be saved.
While we need to help educate folks on why dumping ducks (or any domestic animal) is wrong and a death sentence--and we wait for the day to come when people understand the plight of these animals--in the meantime, we can help get them out of dangerous situations even sooner...with your help!
We would be eternally grateful for any help you can offer so that we can help these abandoned animals have a chance at a better life!
With gratitude,
Jessica Zafonte, Kaitlyn Zafonte, and Mary Beth Artz
