CAPE CORAL, Fla. — A Muscovy duck has been causing chaos in a Cape Coral neighborhood, attacking several people and even sending one to the hospital.
I saw the duck's rage firsthand when visiting the neighborhood near Surfside Boulevard.
Hear what neighbors have to say about the aggressive bird:
James Sepulveda, who has lived in the neighborhood since 1998, showed me his hand where the duck had bitten 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. All of a sudden, I felt a jab on my hand and it was bleeding," Sepulveda said.
The duck's aggression isn't limited to one person. Richard Guy, who lives down the street, has also been targeted.
"I stood up and I made some noises, thinking it would go away, duck, you know, next thing I know, it's wings come out you know like it's going to attack me," Guy said.
During my visit, the duck even tried to follow Sepulveda into his home.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) says Muscovy ducks are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but there are exceptions.
"Muscovy ducks are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but the US Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a Control Order (USFWS 50 CFR 21.54) allowing control of Muscovy ducks and their nests and eggs in areas outside their natural range," according to the FWC.
The natural range for these ducks is actually Texas, not Florida. The FWC says the ducks must be humanely killed or donated to educational or scientific institutes if they need to be removed.
For Sepulveda, who lives on a fixed income, paying for a professional trapper isn't financially feasible.
"They're actually committing injury to individuals they should get rid of [it]," Sepulveda said.
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