25 Ducks Dead Due to Oil Contaminated Water

Following a tip from a concerned resident, New Hampshire Conservation Officers recovered 22 dead ducks from the oily waters of a retention pond at Borough Road in Penacook Saturday, Feb. 21. Since then, three more have died.

Fish and Game officers told WMUR that freezing temperatures, thin ice and deep snow inhibited their rescue efforts. The same cold weather and ice most likely killed the birds.

“What the oil does, it reduces the insulation ability of the down and makes them very vulnerable to hypothermia,” Fish and Game Officer Jim Juneau told WMUR. He compared how the ducks would feel to us going outside without a winter coat.

Officers were able to rescue four ducks Saturday, who were then taken to a rehabilitation center. Two of those ducks have since died as well as another found in a driveway, according to the Associated Press.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has joined an investigation into how oil got into the water. If they find it to be intentional, Juneau said there could be both federal and state charges.

Watch WMUR’s full report below, or read it here.

Image via Wikimedia