Mallard Shot With Arrow In Newport Beach 'Stable' After Two Surgeries

NEWPORT BEACH, CA — A Mallard duck found this week with an arrow dart lodged from neck to cheek is resting comfortably, according to spokesperson Debbie McGuire of the Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center in Huntington Beach.

"We looked in horror at the obvious intentional injury inflicted upon this duck by a human, and then reflectively ask why — and what motivates such inhumane abuse towards animals?" McGuire wrote on Facebook. "With tears in our eyes, we placed our injured patient under anesthesia and took an X-ray. Luckily, the dart did not penetrate the trachea or fracture any bones."

Veterinarian Elizabeth Wood is hopeful for a full recovery, McGuire told Patch. "So far, the duck is doing well. We are administering pain medication and antibiotics."

The mallard remains on heavy medication as it is nursed back to health, and the Newport Beach Police Department is seeking answers.

The injured duck was first sighted in Newport Beach Saturday, then later in Costa Mesa by a father and daughter headed to a soccer game at Kaiser Elementary School. The Silverado family saw the duck "hopping around like it was looking for help," they told the Daily Pilot. That is when they discovered the bolt sticking from its neck.

Animal control officers took the male mallard, or drake, to the care center where it received a radiograph and both surgeries, according to McGuire. It was sedated after intake into the wildlife care center Tuesday, allowing the staff of volunteers to safely extract the five-inch long dart arrow.

According to a report from the Daily Pilot, the thought is that the dart was shot through a crossbow.

"It came through the upper neck and exited out the cheek of the mallard," McGuire said. "It was open-mouth breathing and likely would have died because it couldn't close its mouth all the way."

The volunteer-run bird sanctuary is still collecting funds for the bird's care. Thus far, over $750 has been raised.

"The patient is on pain medication and antibiotics," McGuire said. "Please consider donating towards its medical treatment."

The mallards are among the birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and there are strict regulations in place should the shooter be found, she said.

The Newport Beach Police Department is investigating this incident as a case of animal cruelty and unlawful hunting, they reported over Facebook. Anyone with information about this case or who can identify those responsible is asked to contact NBPD Animal Control Officer Nick Ott at (949) 644-3688 ext. 2716 or nott@nbpd.org.

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