Deadly Sickness May Be Spreading to Pet Ducks

Whatever is sickening and killing wild ducks in Lake Forest may now be spreading to pet ducks, according to an area resident.

Lake Forest resident Terry Whatley, who cares for injured or sick ducks, said area neighbors brought a sick pet duck to her Tuesday night.

The duck displayed symptoms similar to those of wild ducks that have been found ill in Lake Forest communities, she said.

"They're very, very sick," Whatley said of mallards found by residents. "They're unable to stand, can't fly and can't control their head or neck, so they can't eat." 

Some sick ducks are drowning because they are unable to keep their heads above the waterline, she said.

As of Wednesday, Orange County Animal Care had picked up a "couple dozen" ducks from Village Pond Park alone.

The majority of ill or dead mallards have been found at Village Pond Park—at least 30, by Whatley's estimate—but she said that dead or sick ducks have also been found at the Lake 1 community and at the .

"Right now, the symptoms are leading us to believe botulism," said Ryan Drabek, director of OCAC.

The ducks could also be reacting to chemicals in the local ponds, she said. In a strange coincidence, Whatley said, the pond at Village Pond Park turned a "cobalt blue" at about the same time she first saw a duck suffering from the symptoms now affecting significant numbers of the wildlife.

However, it could also be a viral, bacterial or fungal infection, she said.

The county Animal Care is waiting on result of tests being conducted through the Huntington Beach-based Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center of Orange County to determine exactly what is sickening the animals.

The Wetlands and Wildlife Care Center is caring for some of the sick ducks from Lake Forest, Drabek added.

Similar die-offs have occurred before in Orange County, but Lake Forest is the only place in the county at the moment experiencing an unexpected rash of sick wild animals, Drabek said.

If you see a duck that looks sick or dead, don't touch it, he said. "Keep your distance," and contact your local animal control agency, he said.

City officials have been trying to keep the wildlife population at Village Pond Park under control for years, according to Luis Estevez, the city's public works manager.

"We knew something like this could happen," he said.

The park's overcrowding is a direct result of visitors consistently "emptying their pantry" at the park, giving ducks stale bread and other scraps that keep them coming back to the park, he said.