- January 9, 2025
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Animal Control officer Heather Priestap holds one of the two ducks found in Town Center. (Photo courtesy of the city of Palm Coast)
Animal Control officers also found a lone duck egg. (Photo courtesy of the city of Palm Coast)
Animal Control officers Heather Preistap and Eva Rodriguez work to capture one of the ducks for relocation. (Photo courtesy of the city of Palm Coast)
The ducks were taken in by a Bunnell resident who already owns chickens and had space for the new feathered family. (Photo courtesy of the city of Palm Coast)
A duck couple and their egg got a new home after locals noted that the ducks — who were waddling around Palm Coast's Town Center near City Hall — were not afraid of people.
"They were right over next to the Chiumento building, and somebody realized they weren’t wild," said Palm Coast city spokeswoman Cindi Lane.
The ducks are breeds not native to the area, Lane said.
The city suspects their plight was a result of fowl play.
"It was apparent these two ducks were domesticated and were together as a pair," and that they had been "dumped in the park," Palm Coast Animal Control officer Eva Rodriguez wrote in a summary of the Oct. 18 incident.
Rodriguez and fellow Palm Coast Animal Control officer Heather Priestap rescued the one white duck, one black duck and the lone duck egg.
They wanted to relocate the ducks to an owner who understood birds and wouldn't be learning on the fly, so the Animal Control officers "started to search for a farm where they could live out the rest of their lives together," Rodriguez wrote.
"After a few calls, a place was found in the county that had room for them, where new feathery friends greeted them to their new forever home," she wrote.
The Bunnell resident who took them in already kept chickens and had ample space for the duck family.
The relocation went swimmingly, according to city staff.
"They’re very happy. Very, very happy," said city Code Enforcement Manager Barbara Grossman.
