Can you rescue ‘Dave the duck’? Lossiemouth paddleboarders wanted to help catch escaped bird

Dave the Muscovy duck has been evading capture - dodging netting, fences and the SSPCA.

By Bailey Moreton

October 26 2023, 7:07 pm

Lossiemouth animal lover Fran Hutton with her missing Muscovy duck Dave. Image: Fran Hutton

A Lossiemouth animal lover is looking for help to bring her escaped Muscovy duck home.

Fran Hutton’s duck, Dave, made a daring escape from the roof of her backyard shed on Sunday – and he has been evading capture on the Spynie Canal since.

After a boat from the Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) was unsuccessful in catching Dave earlier this week, the animal group said they did not have the manpower to keep trying to rescue the bird.

Muscovy ducks’ feathers are not as waterproof as those of other species, meaning they are not well suited to long periods on water.

lossiemouth — Dave the duck escaped by hopping onto the top of the shed and flying over the fence. Image: Fran Hutton

Search party launched for Dave the duck

Ms Hutton said: “It started out as a wee bit of a search party to find him then we found him on Tuesday, and the SSPCA were in attendance.

“They had a boat out yesterday to try and get him that way. But he thought they were just playing tag and kept flying away.”

Now the animal rescue service has recommended approaching Dave via paddleboard with a fishing net to try and safely catch him.

Worried she does not have the expertise needed, Ms Hutton has created a Facebook group – aptly named “Dave the Duck” – in the hope of rustling up a rescue posse.

The group already has nearly 300 members.

She said: “It’s not that we don’t want to do it – of course we do, he’s a family member. It’s just that we’ve only one shot at this and we need to make sure we do it right.”

Fran Hutton with her Muscovy duck dave — Lossiemouth animal lover Fran Hutton with her missing Muscovy duck Dave. Image: Fran Hutton

Hutton wants Dave the Duck home

Dave stays in the family’s Lossiemouth back garden, which has a high fence and netting around it to keep himself and the other chickens and ducks safe.

Those measures are meant to keep the animals in the backyard, but Dave dodged it by climbing onto the shed and flying away.

She said: “The day he took flight was the day he was meant to get his wings clipped ironically.

“We didn’t think that Dave would ever get that height, unfortunately the netting was good for the others but not for him.

“I’ve got to pull out every stop I can to get him off that water.

It’s just heart breaking, it’s horrible because he obviously does not realize we’re all trying to help him.”