A few mallard ducks finally got to experience the first greenery in their young lives
Porec, Pula, Rovinj, Umag and Zagreb are not even a year old. These are not Croatian cities, but white, adorable, healthy warty ducks.
People who love animals have adopted mallard ducks from a husbandry that should make you think. Among other things, the inappropriate husbandry meant that they did not know grass, were not fed sufficiently and were intended for slaughter.
The Gut Aiderbichl animal emergency centre was contacted and the warty ducks found their new forever home at the Gut Aiderbichl animal sanctuary in Carinthia.
"We wanted to keep the ducks for the rest of their lives, but the landlord of the property suddenly wanted things differently ..."
Of course, the situation had been discussed with the landlord. Everything seemed settled, and the young ducks came from poor husbandry with no grass or sunshine to a property where they were to lead a wonderful life.
A wooden house was prepared especially for the mallard ducks, where straw was also strewn. Porec, Pula, Rovinj, Umag and Zagreb could decide whether they wanted to be in the hut or outside on the meadow.
"Of course I spoilt the ducks ..."
The place where Porec, Pula, Rovinj, Umag and Zagreb came from had no bathing pond and no green meadow. In their new environment there was a pond and a meadow – just as mallard ducks naturally need. They forage in the grass and then take care of their feathers in the bathing pond. For Porec, Pula, Rovinj, Umag and Zagreb, their favourite foods include green plants, grass, herbs, water plants, worms, beetles and snails.
Under no circumstances do ducks tolerate dry bread. It makes the stomach swell and contains a lot of salt and sugar. Feeding them can also make them lose their fear of humans. They know that “if a human comes along, I’ll get a piece of bread”, which can mean that if there is a road between humans and ducks, it can be life-threatening for the duck. It wants the bread – so it may realise too late that a car is approaching.
Porec, Pula, Rovinj, Umag and Zagreb were spoilt by their saviour with potatoes, corn, wheat and, for example, green salad.
How are things going for Porec, Pula, Rovinj, Umag and Zagreb at the new animal sanctuary in Carinthia?
The new arrivals have passed the medical test with flying colours. Markus Leitner, the manager of Gut Aiderbichl Carinthia, looks after them mischievously. “There’s something about ducks – they always make you smile….”.
Porec, Pula, Rovinj, Umag and Zagreb have already made friends with many ducks. Their closest friends include the runner ducks Daisy and Elsa.
With a heavy heart, the lady unfortunately had to pass on her ducks, but with the knowledge that they couldn’t have had a better time among the large flock of ducks at Gut Aiderbichl. They will not forget Porec, Pula, Rovinj, Umag and Zagreb either: Ducks can memorise the human voice, they can experience emotions such as joy and sadness and they are by no means stupid.
The desire to keep an animal stems from an ancient basic motive - namely the longing of civilised man for a lost paradise.
~ Konrad Lorenz
