Lake ducks aggressive? Palmetto Bay residents upset over euthanized birds

PALMETTO BAY - Residents are up in arms after Palmetto Bay officials say they are euthanizing ducks because some are allegedly aggressive.

"Since when is a duck aggressive," says resident Heidi Sanchez. "These ducks have been here forever, and now they are aggressive?"

The Town of Palmetto Bay says they've received several reports of aggressive ducks in the park.

"We had an incident where a duck chased down a little girl, caused her to fall, trip, and became bloody," says town councilman Steve Cody.

Cody explains the Muscovy ducks cannot be rehomed, so the city has euthanized more than 20 ducks, and say it's for the safety of residents.

"People ignore our signs that say 'do not feed the ducks,' and then these ducks get aggressive," says Cody. "If people left these wild animals alone, we wouldn't have to do this."

The larger issue, residents say, is that no one was informed of the decision to kill the birds.

"Our town is a bird sanctuary…this is something that needs to be discussed as a community, something we all need to vote on," says Sanchez. "Why do these ducks have to pay the price? These are animals, you can't just kill them for no reason."

Cody says he's working to start an official workshop for residents where they can find a compromise on how they can handle the ducks, together.