Waddling around the banks of Lake Roberta, Muscovy ducks have made themselves at home. A few mallard ducks and an assortment of birds like the Anhinga find common ground and water in Hampton Terrace.
But lately, neighbors have witnessed strangers snatching ducks.
“They’re the fabric of this neighborhood, these ducks,” said William Truett. “You’re welcome in our neighborhood, but you’re not welcome to come into our neighborhood and take something that’s not yours.”
Truett said a truck with a trailer towing a yellow crate began to show up in December. Daniel Felds said his wife had an uncomfortable encounter with the people inside the truck after she watched them lure the ducks with food, tie their legs together and lock them in the crate.
“She said, ‘Hey, you can’t do that.’ They got into it with her and threatened her, they threatened her life, said, ‘I’ll run you over, whatever, I’ll hurt you,’ and basically threatened her life,” Felds said.
She ran home, but by the time Daniel went outside, they were gone.