In a shocking turn of events, three mallard ducks have been euthanized after being caught on camera preying on pūteketeke chicks in Canterbury's Mackenzie basin. This incident has raised concerns among conservation experts, who are now trying to understand the unusual behavior of these ducks. The pūteketeke, a native bird species, gained international attention in 2023 when comedian John Oliver campaigned for it to win the Forest and Bird's Bird of the Century crown. The Department of Conservation (DOC) rangers were appalled to see graphic photos of the ducks hunting and killing freshly hatched pūteketeke chicks near Lake Alexandrina, south of Lake Tekapo. Principal biodiversity ranger Dean Nelson expressed his horror at the sight, stating that mallard ducks typically feed on plant material and insects, not other birds. The ducks were actively scoping out the pūteketeke nests, which is a behavior that has never been observed by DOC experts before. This incident has sparked a debate about the potential impact of this behavior on the pūteketeke population and the role of human intervention in conservation efforts. The person who reported the incident did the right thing by contacting the DOC and providing evidence, and the ducks were humanely euthanized. DOC staff are now on high alert to prevent any further incidents and are urging the public to be vigilant in reporting any suspicious behavior.
