by Jodi Hunley
Daily Lobo
The waterfowl that inhabit UNM's Duck Pond are suffering from malnourishment due to a number of factors, making them susceptible to injury, according to Marian Hamburg, a local wildlife rehabilitator.
Hamburg, who has been taking care of UNM's ill or injured ducks for 10 years, said she receives anywhere from two to six ducks a year and that there should be some changes to keep the ducks healthier.
According to UNM's Physical Plant, the department responsible for caring for the ducks, they are doing everything in their power to preserve the health and well-being of the ducks and geese at the Duck Pond.
"The physical plant goes above and beyond the call of duty to care for the ducks," Hamburg said. "They want to help the ducks but there are other things they need to do that are beyond their means."
Hamburg said she has tried talking to the UNM President's Office, the assistant to the president and campus police, but that none of them were interested in her plight.
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Hamburg said the ducks are fed year round but don't accept the food offered to them by Physical Plant employees in the summer and that the ducks also eat a lot of junk food, which is fed to them by people who go to the Duck Pond.
As a result, the ducks have become seriously malnourished, Hamburg said
She said she is concerned because as a result of the malnourishment, the waterfowl are more susceptible to injury.
"Their bones have become crippled and they can't run from loose dogs and aggressive male ducks that chase them," Hamburg said.
Hamburg said she would like to see food dispensers put around the Duck Pond for people to buy food to feed the ducks.
Hamburg added that mating can be very brutal among ducks and geese, especially in areas where the population is abundant.
"To prevent aggressive behavior the duck population needs to be kept down," Hamburg said. "This would cause less stress on the ducks."
Hamburg was asked to inspect the pond and said on the day she was there that it was "a nice pond and had about three dozen ducks which is fine when they are taken care of properly."
Loose dogs on campus is another concern of Hamburg's. She said they harass the ducks and also pose a threat to people on campus.
Hamburg thinks the University should either make protecting the ducks a higher priority or find them homes.
Gary Smith, associate director of environmental services at UNM disagrees, saying the ducks are there to provide a peaceful relaxing environment for the UNM community.
"We take care of the ducks and look after their welfare," Smith said. "I don't think removing the ducks from the Duck Pond is the answer."
Smith said he was aware of loose dogs chasing and harassing ducks, and that UNM is prepared to cite people with loose dogs on campus although UNMPD records indicate that no citations have been issued for loose dogs on campus within the last semester. Smith said while the ducks are a concern of everyone, UNM's Physical Plant has other priorities and it does not have the time to police the ducks.
He added that he is also not in favor of a fencing system due to aesthetics and maintenance issues involved in it. Smith said that experience has told him that food dispensers would just be vandalized.
