MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WPDE) — A wildlife rescuer in Myrtle Beach took off in a kayak Saturday to help rescue a Muscovy duck after it was reported with its legs tied together in the Azalea Lakes apartment complex.
Kimberly Cerimele, the rescuer who helped the duck, explained, "It is a very steep bank over there and when we tried to get down there, he flew away. So, then we had to go get a kayak and chase him around for two hours until he finally wore down and he was too tired, cause he had to swim with his wings."
What they originally thought was a duck with two broken legs turned out to be a duck with its legs intentionally bound so a resident could allegedly eat it.
Cerimele recalled, "He looked healthy, but when I got close, you could tell that he was intentionally tied around and it was a produce bag, so at that point, we realized it was not just something he got tangled in."
Cerimele, who is also the Executive Director of Carolina Wildlife Rehabilitation Center, said on Facebook she had a brief conversation with the woman who tied the duck's legs together, saying she wanted the duck returned to her. The resident didn't speak English, so she had someone call on her behalf.
Cerimele added the woman originally took the duck from Ivystone Apartment and moved it to Azalea Lakes.
It has had its legs tied together for 3 days! Needless to say, I refused to give her the duck," Cerimele said. "If you are going to eat animals, do not torture them, make it quick. This is inhumane and I will not allow it to happen.
Muscovy ducks are an exotic duck species and are not native to the United States which means they are not protected, according to Greg Lucas with the South Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources (SCDNR).
Birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibit the take, including killing capturing, selling, trading and transporting, of protected migratory bird species without prior authorization by the Department of Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Myrtle Beach resident ties ducks legs together to allegedly eat it, wildlife rescuer says (Credit: Kimberly Cerimele){ }
Luckily, the duck did not suffer leg damage.
Cerimele said the duck is currently in her care, as she's helping it during the healing process along with making plans for his future.
She said, "He's healthy, he can walk. He just struggles a little bit, he's got sea legs. His feet overlap because of the way his legs were tied together, but overall he's doing really well. He will find a good home somewhere else."
Cerimele said she will make sure the duck is sent to a good home and hopes his second chance at life is far away from the family that tortured him.
"Seeing animals suffer in this area where there's no other wildlife rescues or anything or anywhere to take them to, like if we can't help them I would rather end their pain than to let them suffer. A lot of people, they say, 'it's just wildlife, let nature take its course,' but I personally cannot watch an animal suffer or be tortured," said Cerimele.
SCDNR said they are reaching out to law enforcement to see if they have heard about the incident.
Horry County Police Dept. said their team is aware of the incident, but they have not received any formal calls or complaints regarding the situation.
https://wpde.com/news/local/myrtle-b...gedly-be-eaten
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