Several ducks were found with their bills zip-tied to their necks at a park in Northern California over the weekend.
Donnelly Park in Turlock is popular with families looking to spend some time by the water and under the trees. It is also home to several ducks.
But Sunday night, the ducks had something around their necks and Elizabeth Stevens took some pictures, KTLA sister station KTXL reported.
“I’m pretty sure someone did it to them, just how tight they were and how they were literally cut off as if someone tightened then and then cut it,” Stevens said.
The zip ties were wrapped around the duck’s neck, pinning its lower beak to its neck, its mouth open. Two of the animals had been bound in that same way.
“I thought it was pretty messed up. I don’t understand why people would do that,” Turlock resident Tyler White said.
So the group cut the ducks free.
“I couldn’t catch them, she’s the one who caught them,” White said.
The story of the rescue has spread on social media, and while the friends are gratified by the support they’ve gotten, what’s also clear is that it has restored a little of the faith they lost that night.
“So many people just saying ‘thank you, you guys are good people.’ And honestly, it’s pretty heart-warming to know there’s people that actually care,” Stevens said.