PHOTOS: Pet Ducks Rescued From Central Park Pond

CENTRAL PARK, NY — Two domesticated ducks were rescued Wednesday from the Central Park Pond after being abandoned in the park by their former owners, a spokesperson for the city Parks Department said.

Park rangers ventured out into the pond on kayaks to coax the birds onto land where more rangers waited to corral the birds with nets, a Parks Department spokesperson said. Rangers handed the birds off to the Wild Bird Fund, which will assess their health and help find them new homes.

The Central Park Pond — located in the southeast corner of the park — is home to many ducks, but domesticated birds should never be released into the wild, a Parks Department spokesperson said.

The Wild Bird Fund said on social media that anyone who sees a person leaving a domesticated duck in Central Park should tell them to stop and instead seek out a rescue organization. A third duck that was dumped in the park with the two rescued on Thursday had already died before the rescue effort, according to the group.

Check out photos of the rescue below:

All photos courtesy NYC Parks/Daniel Avila