Hunt for the California duck poisoner: Los Angeles residents are horrified as dozens of dead DUCKS wash up on the shores of the park’s lake every day – as locals say, someone is poisoning the birds
- Sick, dying or dead ducks are mysteriously found in a Los Angeles neighborhood
- Residents have reported the mysterious deaths to local authorities
- Some have suspected and claimed that a person is poisoning the water
Residents in a Los Angeles neighborhood say they are shocked after ducks washed up in a local park – and locals fear someone is poisoning the water.
The mysterious deaths occurred in the Boyle Heights area of Hollenbeck Park, where dozens of birds have died in recent days.
Experts believe a number of factors could be responsible for the deaths, including bird botulism or water pollution.
However, many in the area fear that someone is intentionally harming the birds.
“Unfortunately, it looks like someone poisoned the ducks, I think, because they’re slowly dying,” said local resident Margarito Garcia, who walks the park every week.
Residents in a Los Angeles neighborhood say they are shocked after ducks washed up in a local park – and locals fear someone is poisoning the water
“Unfortunately, it looks like someone poisoned the ducks, I think, because they’re slowly dying,” said local resident Margarito Garcia, who walks the park every week
Garcia told KTLA that while he was walking through the park, he noticed a goose hovering around a dying duck.
Other residents described the scene as worrying, with duck carcasses piling up.
“Usually I run around the lake here and sometimes I see birds, but there are just tons of them, at least 15 or so, that just 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 even more dead animals, at least one of which was struggling to survive.
“Hopefully it’s something small and people don’t kill them on purpose,” said another park visitor.
Several locals who spoke to the outlet said they reported the issue to animal control but received no response.
It is currently unclear what is causing the birds to die.
Howie Berkowitz, founder of the Duck Pond of Lake Elsinore, said he believes there could be serious problems that could cause the ducks to become sick.
“One is that the water is actually contaminated, and that could be because someone has done that, or the other possibility is that there is toxic algae out there, especially in the summer when the water gets hot,” he said .
Experts believe botulism or water pollution could be responsible for the deaths
The deaths occur in Hollenbeck Park in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of LA
Garcia told KTLA that while he was walking through the park, he noticed a goose hovering around a dying duck
Ducks rest along the lake in the Boyle Heights area
Berkowitz has run a duck sanctuary for 10 years and said the ducks getting sick should worry locals and wildlife officials.
He said all sick animals should be taken to a veterinarian immediately.
“The quicker they can give some activated charcoal, the quicker the problem will go away,” Berkowitz said.
Another bird expert said the cause may be avian botulism.
Avian botulism causes a duck to ingest deadly bacteria and infect the larger ecosystem after flies eat the duck’s carcass.
Whether avian botulism is the cause can only be determined through an autopsy.
has reached out to local animal control authorities for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.