Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 24, 1993 TAG: 9306240439
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
His home at 4761 Poor Mountain Road, just west of Salem, is not exactly a duck sanctuary, but Ligon, known as "The Duck Man," is trying to make it one.
He is a friend to the wild ducks that live along the Roanoke River across the road from his house. These ducks have the best of two worlds - the freedom of the wild and a hand that feeds them.
Ligon, a 73-year-old retired machinist, often can be seen scattering corn around his yard and along the road to supplement whatever the ducks forage for themselves.
But perhaps his greatest act of kindness comes in the spring when ducklings hatch. Ligon rounds up the little ones and herds them into an enclosure in his yard to protect them from the hazards of the world.
He keeps them in the pen until they are 8 to 10 weeks old and large enough to more easily fend for themselves. Then he opens the pen and lets the ducks out.
Before he began penning the baby ducks, Ligon said, some of them were killed by cars.
But the worst thing, he said, was to watch a mother duck lead 10 or 12 of her babies to the river and later bring back only two.
Ligon said he discovered that the baby ducks were easy prey for the many turtles, snakes and other creatures that live along the river's edge.
"Some of these little ducks were only 2 days old," Ligon said with sadness in his voice. "I figured anything deserved a better chance at life than that."
Most of the ducks around Ligon's house are mallards, but there also are some Muscovy ducks. Ligon has even seen a few that migrate when winter approaches, he said.
The others stay year-round, and the cold of winter does not seem to bother them. Ligon has erected two small shelters, but the ducks usually do not use them.
"Sometimes in winter I've seen them with ice on them, but they don't seem to mind," he said.
Ligon is not sure where the ducks came from, but the first of them appeared about five years ago.
"Two hens and a drake [male] showed up in the yard one day," he said. "And a few days later, a white duck showed up."
Ligon said they stayed around and after a few days he threw out some bread for them. Later, he got some corn and "then one thing led to another."
Ligon now buys 400 to 500 pounds of corn at a time at an average price of $8 per hundred pounds. With the current duck population, 100 pounds last about a week.
Ligon said it is expensive to buy corn, but he gets a little help from some neighbors and motorists who give him corn or money to help care for the ducks. Ligon said he appreciates all donations.
Ligon will give a baby duck to anyone who asks.
Early in June, there were about 40 grown ducks and 70 ducklings in Ligon's enclosure. At that time, he already had given away 10 ducklings to people who wanted them for pets.
Ducklings can be found all spring and summer, Ligon said, and adult ducks are around all year.
Ligon said he does not make pets of the ducks and does not touch them except when necessary. He doesn't want to rob them of their wild instincts. Even with his care, they still live in a mostly wild environment, he said.
Also, he said he never eats the ducks, but he thinks some he has given away may have ended up in the roasting pan.
Not everyone likes the ducks, Ligon said. Some drivers along the road try to run over them, although most will slow down or even stop to let the ducks get out of the road.
And some people ask him not to scatter corn along the road in front of their houses so the ducks will not be attracted to their yards.
Ligon said he hopes the ducks are not a nuisance in the neighborhood, because he enjoys helping them.
"We get right much pleasure from them. They're expensive and messy but a good hobby," he said.
Ligon said the duck project is mostly his, but he occasionally gets help from his wife, Elizabeth (better known as "Tempie"); their son, William P. Ligon Jr.; and a grandson, Donald Ligon.
by CNB