By Juliana Di Leonardo
Muscovy ducks are such unique birds, their faces are adorned with bright red caruncles which create a bumpy fleshy mask around their beautiful eyes. They can be in a variety of colors and do most of their communicating through huffing, tail wagging and mohawk display. Unlike mallard ducks, these birds can climb trees and enjoy forested areas. These birds are also native to South America but are bred and used in the states for meat purposes. Over the years we, Humane Long Island, have rescued quite a few Muscovy ducks from abandonment and live slaughter markets. We have met some of the sweetest, cutest little girl muscovys and some very large almost domestic goose sized males who were also very lovely to care for, but again we continue to have our hearts stolen by our newest temporary resident, Boo.
Acharya Tulsi Ji (Photo provided by: Arvind Vora)
In the beginning of this year, we rescued a young Muscovy duck from one of the live markets in Queens, New York. He was missing his toes and the tip of his beak due to the agricultural practices in place to prevent cannibalism and self-harm within the factory farms they come from. When we brought Boo home, he looked sad and broken. His wings were droopy, and he didn’t have much interest in eating or exploring his new surroundings. It was after a few weeks, some newly rescued friends and the help of his recently discovered favorite treat, blueberries, did he begin to show an interest in living life.
Boo is now one of the happiest ducks ever and today he looks completely different. His eyes are bright, he is a healthy weight, and his caruncles have grown in around his eyes and beak. Every morning, he is excited to start the day and is always the first one of his friends waiting at the aviary door to be let out into the run. He is always wagging his tail, huffing in excitement, and asking for our attention. Boo has a lot to say and much love to give, which we always accept even when his kisses are a little rough. Boo also gets the ability to free roam the property supervised with his pekin friend named Sweet Boy and these two adorable boys have become great friends while being rehabbed at our transitional sanctuary. While exploring the grounds, Boo can be seen informing Sweet Boy of where the tastiest insects and earthworms are located. It is quite a pleasure to care for ducks that enjoy the company of humans, especially Boo. They will follow us around with curiosity while we work in the yard which perpetuates my belief that ducks are just feathered dogs.
For this week’s anuvrat, I encourage you to look beyond the feathers, fur, or skin of another being and allow yourself to truly get to know the personality of any person that may be unfamiliar to us. Often, we establish walls or strong beliefs that we do not like another person or creature without trying to understand their language, quirks, or lifestyle. Give yourself permission to hold love for a stranger in need and know that it can be the start of a beautiful friendship.
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Juliana Di Leonardo is the Vice President of Humane Long Island. She is a yoga and ballroom dance instructor, model, and artist. Her advocacy for animals exploited by the fashion industry was credited in the 2021 documentary “The Face of Fashion is Fear” and recognized by PETA with a Hero for Coyotes award. (Image provided by author)
