Shot Duck Survives 2 Days in Fla. Fridge

ajc.com/news ^ | January 20, 2007 | Associated Press

[rawhide]

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Neither gunfire nor two days in a refrigerator could slay this duck.

When the wife of the hunter who shot it opened the refrigerator door, the duck lifted its head, giving her a scare.

The man's wife "was going to check on the refrigerator because it hadn't been working right and when she opened the door, it looked up at her," said Laina Whipple, a receptionist at Killearn Animal Hospital. "She freaked out and told the daughter to take it to the hospital right then and there."

The 1-pound female ring-neck ended up at Goose Creek Wildlife Sanctuary, where it has been treated since Tuesday for wounds to its wing and leg.

Sanctuary veterinarian David Hale said it has about a 75 percent chance of survival, but probably won't ever be well enough to be released back into the wild.

He said the duck, which has a low metabolism, could have survived in a big enough refrigerator, especially if the door was opened and closed several times. And he said he understands how the hunter thought the duck was dead.

"This duck is very passive," Hale said. "It's not like trying to pick up a Muscovy at Lake Ella, where you put your life in your hands."

[rawhide]

Another news source has this duck's name as Lazarus.

[Publius]

Aflack!!!

[Tijeras_Slim]

Hunter my butt... Shoot clean or stay home.

[OwenKellogg]

Cold Duck!

[digger48]

What hunter delays gutting for 2 days?

[Tijeras_Slim]

A lazy or stupid one.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Actually, I should have said he is "dithpicable".

[A knight without armor]

Yick. I thought game was cleaned right away. We slaughtered many ducks, etc., when I was a kid and we'd clean them within moments. I never heard of keeping one whole like that. To me, after an hour or so it goes into the just plan dead animal category.