THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 27, 1996 TAG: 9609270518
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL CLANCY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 69 lines
This time it was an arrow. Blunt-tipped and meant to kill.
Another duck, a tame Muscovy, turned up wounded Thursday near Linkhorn Bay, a crossbow arrow buried in its flesh from hindquarters to just beside the leg bone.
The wounding followed the discovery Monday of three ducks in the Kings Grant area that had been struck by darts apparently fired from a blowgun.
The Muscovy, a large black-green duck with red wattles, was struck beside a small lake near Linkhorn Park Elementary School. It is an area where several other ducks recovering from various wildlife accidents have taken up residence.
The wound was deep enough to cause serious damage, but the animal seemed to rest comfortably in the arms of Linda Pennock, a wildlife rehabilitation specialist.
``I think it's horrible,'' Pennock said.
The woundings have alarmed wildlife lovers in the area because they show a chain of cruelty that could continue.
``When you hold a duck like this and you have him die in your arms because of what somebody has done, it makes you crazy,'' said wildlife rehabilitator Nan McClain, who came to check on the animal.
There was probably no connection to the Kings Grant incident. The lake where the ducks were wounded by darts is several miles away.
This was a very different weapon. And Muscovies don't fly.
``Elvis,'' as the Muscovy is known because of how it wags its tail, appeared calm but jumped when the area near its wound was touched. He had wandered up from the lake to the Wilshire Building office of Dr. Carl D. Nelson, a chiropractor.
He was rushed to the Pet Care Veterinary Hospital on Virginia Beach Boulevard, where several other wounded wild animals have been treated.
Dr. Herbert A. Hulls, a veterinarian, examined the duck.
``I've never seen anything quite like this,'' he said.
A tabby cat watched from a table and a whippet whined from its cage as Elvis was taken for X-rays.
The images showed the arrow, about the size of a lead pencil, lodged in its flesh, just missing the leg bone.
``I guess there's more danger leaving it in than removing it,'' Hull said.
Elvis was given isoflurane, a gas that knocked it out. But when Hull began to remove feathers from the wound site, it jerked.
``It goes to show you how painful it is to pluck feathers,'' he said.
A breathing tube was inserted in its gullet. Next, the bird was given an antibiotic. Lori Jo Ciccone, Hull's assistant, prepared the animal for surgery and Hull went to work.
Slowly, slowly he pulled the arrow, turning it as it moved. This time Elvis didn't jump.
The arrow was cleaned and set aside to be turned over to Animal Control officials investigating several cases of animal woundings.
After the operation, Elvis popped his head up, groggy but apparently curious about what was going on.
He might be back to normal in a few weeks and the feathers could grow back before winter, Hull said.
``There's no bleeding, no gas escaping from the abdominal cavity. . . .'' he said.
And, without a smile, he added, ``He's really one lucky duck.'' ILLUSTRATION: STEVE EARLEY/The Virginian-Pilot color photos
A wounded Muscovy duck willingly accepts tender loving care from
Linda Pennock.
Dr. Herbert A. Hulls and Lori Jo Ciccone remove an arrow from Elvis,
named for its tailfeathers that will soon be wagging. by CNB