A Florida community was recently ambushed by a ‘vicious’ and unlikely beast who left an old man injured.
James Sepulveda, a resident who has lived in the area since 1998, was left with an injury on his hand after the duck bit him.
‘I sit on my porch, 7 to 7:30 at this time of the year to catch a sunset, you know, some sun, and I had my eyes closed,’ he told Fox 4.
‘All of a sudden, I felt a jab on my hand and it was bleeding.’
Sepulveda wasn’t the only one attacked by the duck, as Richard Guy, a neighbor who lives down the street from him, was also targeted.
‘I stood up and I made some noises, thinking it would go away, duck, you know, next thing I know, its wings come out you know like it’s going to attack me,’ Guy told the outlet, showing injuries near his wrist.
At one point, the duck, later named Jimmy, even followed Sepulveda into his home.
When news first broke of the animal’s terrifying behavior, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said Muscovy ducks are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The act prohibits the killing, selling, capturing, trading or transportation of specific birds without prior authorization, according to the agency’s website.
‘Muscovy ducks are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but the US Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a Control Order allowing control of Muscovy ducks and their nests and eggs in areas outside their natural range,’ FWC told the outlet.
The particular ducks are known to inhabit Texas, not the Sunshine State.
If they need to be removed, the process has to include them being either humanely killed or donated to scientific or educational institutes, per the agency.
After news of Jimmy’s actions spread across the community, the terrorizing duck was taken to an animal sanctuary.
Mark Quadrozzi with Remarkable Rescues in Ocala took it upon himself to remove the feisty animal from the neighborhood.
‘When you have a duck that wants to actually make physical contact with a person like that, but in a way with its beak it’s more of a social thing. It’s kind of a given that it was hand raised by someone,’ the expert told the outlet.
After looking around for Jimmy for about an hour, Quadrozzi finally located the animal and quickly realized why it might have been acting out.
‘This is a young male. Yes, that’s why he’s being such a punk,’ he said.
He believes the duck is about three to four-months-old and was likely hand-raised.
Jimmy was placed in a cage and taken to the animal sanctuary to live with other Muscovy ducks.
Now, local residents wont have to be on edge when they leave their homes.
‘I’m happy they’re getting rid of ducks in the area because they are vicious,’ Sepulveda stated.