30 Muscovy ducks poisoned
Brownsville, TX (US)Incident Date: Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006
County: Cameron
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
Linda Forse loved watching ducks go after food she offered, raise their ducklings and play in Resaca Cortada behind her house, but on June 6 she received as shock: They were all dead.
More than 30 Muscovy ducks were floating in the resaca, and despite repeated calls to local, state and federal agencies, no one seemed interested in finding out why.
Josue Ramirez, public health director for Brownsville, said wild animal deaths usually fall under the jurisdiction of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but neither agency was willing to investigate.
"Parks and Wildlife said because they are domestic ducks, it's local jurisdiction," he said. "(USFWS) is telling us that it's Parks and Wildlife jurisdiction because it's not a migratory bird."
With neither agency retrieving the ducks, the city went to retrieve the ducks on Thursday. Scavengers and other natural forces had disposed of several birds, leaving only a handful for study.
Although Ramirez suspects accidental poisoning with moldy bread or purposeful poisoning by someone who doesn't like ducks, he said there is the remote possibility a disease could have killed the birds. He said that should be enough to prompt a state or federal agency to investigate.
"There's a lot of concerns right now because of events like avian influenza," said Laura Robinson, who investigates animal-to-human diseases for the Texas Department of Health. "We have been getting calls about a lot of dead birds, but people are probably more aware of the situation now whereas before people would see a dead bird and just kick it out of the way. ... The reality is we currently don't have that strain of avian influenza here."
She said bird populations are being monitored across the nation, especially near Alaska where bird flu could most easily enter the area. So far, bird flu has not been reported in North America.
Still, Brownsville's prominence in migratory flyways makes it vulnerable. Ramirez said any instance of mass death should be investigated.
The problem came in finding which agency should investigate the deaths.
"They are not native wildlife, so they don't fall under Parks and Wildlife jurisdiction," said Joe Herrera, district leader of the South Texas Wildlife District with TPWD in Pleasanton. "All migratory birds are under the aegis of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife."
He said because Muscovy ducks are considered domestic animals, TPWD couldn't interfere anymore than it could if someone's pets had died in their backyard.
"The jurisdiction of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is birds listed as migratory birds," said Nancy Gloman, assistant southwest regional director for migratory birds with USFWS in Albuquerque, N.M.
As non-migratory birds, Muscovy ducks would not be investigated by that agency unless they affected local wildlife. Instead, Gloman said, state wildlife agencies should handle wild birds.
Ramirez said the city could investigate such cases, but usually they are left to federal or state agencies, which in turn said they would investigate if the city found evidence native bird populations were affected.
Additionally, federal representatives said if the species of duck were not initially known, they might have responded sooner.
Many agencies said the cause of death should be known before they can investigate further. The TPWS Kills and Spills team handles animals shot without permission, city authorities deals with cases of animal cruelty, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality covers water contamination issues and the Texas Department of Agriculture investigates inappropriate use of pest control.
Residents are asked to call city or county health authorities in the future and can preserve animals for testing by placing them in bags while wearing gloves. Ramirez said residents should not touch dead animals with their bare skin, allow pets near them or place dead animals near food supplies.
The state health department is investigating what caused the ducks' death and Brownsville animal control officers are checking the area for any further suspicious activity.
"Any animal in the city of Brownsville falls under our laws," Ramirez said. "They must be treated with respect. If they are mistreated, we can go in and prosecute." References« TX State Animal Cruelty Map
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