Chasing the California Duck Poisoner: Los Angeles residents are horrified as dozens of dead DUCKS wash up on the shore of the park lake every day – while locals say someone is poisoning the birds
- In an LA neighborhood, ducks are mysteriously found sick, dying or dead
- Residents have reported the mysterious deaths to local authorities
- Some have suspected and claimed that a person is poisoning the water
Residents of a Los Angeles neighborhood say they are shocked to see ducks washing themselves in a local park — as locals fear someone is poisoning the water.
The mysterious deaths have occurred in the Boyle Heights area of Hollenbeck Park, where dozens of birds have died in recent days.
Experts say a number of factors could be causing the deaths, including avian botulism or water pollution.
However, many in the area fear someone is deliberately harming the birds.
“Unfortunately, it seems that someone has poisoned the ducks, I think, because they are slowly dying” said local Margarito Garcia, who walks in the park every week.
Residents in a Los Angeles neighborhood say they were shocked when ducks bathed in a local park – because locals fear someone is poisoning the water
“Unfortunately, it looks like someone poisoned the ducks, I think, because they’re slowly dying,” says local Margarito Garcia, who walks through the park every week.
Garcia told KTLA that while walking through the park, he saw a goose hovering around a dying duck.
Other residents described the scene as worrying, as duck carcasses piled up.
“Usually I come here running around the lake and sometimes you see birds, but there are just a few, like at least fifteen that have washed up on the shore,” said a woman who didn’t. give her name.
She said she first saw dead ducks around the pond on Saturday.
The woman returned to the park on Sunday to find more dead animals and at least one struggling to live.
“Hopefully it’s a minor thing and people don’t intentionally kill them,” said another park visitor.
Several local residents who spoke to the outlet said they reported the problem to animal control but have not received a response.
It is still unknown what caused the birds to die.
Howie Berkowitz, founder of the Duck Pond of Lake Elsinore, said he believes there could be major problems that are making the ducks sick.
“One is that the water is actually polluted and it could be because someone did that, or the other possibility is that there’s toxic algae floating around, especially in the summer when the water gets hot,” he said.
Experts say botulism or water contamination could be the cause of the deaths
The deaths take place in Hollenbeck Park in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of LA
Garcia told KTLA that while walking through the park, he saw a goose hovering around a dying duck
Ducks are seen along the lake in the Boyle Heights area
Berkowitz has been running a duck rescue center for 10 years and says the sick ducks should be of concern to the local population and animal control.
He said sick animals should be taken to a vet immediately.
“The sooner they can administer some activated charcoal, the sooner the problem will stop,” Berkowitz said.
Another bird expert said they think avian botulism could be to blame.
Avian botulism causes a duck to ingest deadly bacteria and infect the larger ecosystem after flies feed on the duck’s carcass.
It is only possible to know if avian botulism is the cause if a necropsy is performed.
DailyMail.com reached out to local animal control officials for comment, but did not receive a response at time of publication.