A stranded feral female Muscovy duck, who had suffered through the ravages of a record cold winter, was rescued this week, thanks to some kind human intervention

By Jim Clark

Thanks to the efforts of a number of compassionate individuals, a feral female Muscovy duck that had been stranded in the wild during the record-breaking cold months of last winter was rescued and relocated to the safety of an animal sanctuary on Tuesday of this week.

Reports of the bird’s presence in the Mystic River at Assembly Row area were first recorded in November of 2022, where it had been spotted among a gaggle of geese. In January, a few locals took notice and began feeding the duck, who they had named “Ducky the Bruce.”

Beverly and Miriam Schwartz, along with Olga Akselrod and another woman by the name of Maureen, were each independently feeding and watching after Ducky, and they eventually became aware of one another’s benevolent efforts.

Although Ducky had bonded with the flock of geese – and one goose in particular – they eventually moved on to dry land, leaving Ducky behind. Since her wings had been clipped, she could only fly very short distances. In cold weather, geese gather on land to stay warm, and it’s possible they took flight for some place to stay warm, and ducky was unable to travel with them. She remained at the river, standing alone on the rocks, at the mercy of the elements and dependent on the kind generosity of her human benefactors.

When the extreme cold snap of early February developed, the group of caregivers became acutely aware of the peril that Ducky was facing. The Schwartz’s were concerned about her and they didn’t see her for a week thereafter, but then discovered her on the river. Maureen had seen that Ducky had been abandoned by the geese before the weekend, and that ducky spent the weekend on a rock. Maureen went to feed Ducky on every day of that cold snap.

Ducky and friend Olga Akselrod meet on dry land. — Photos by Bobbie Toner

Once Beverly Schwartz heard from Maureen that Ducky was alone, she bought a pair of hip waders and 70 lbs. of duck food and started feeding her every day. She later met Olga, who was feeding ducky twice a day.

City Councilor At-Large Kristen Strezo’s son Vincent decided that her name should be Cody or Bruce, so everyone started calling her Ducky the Bruce – as in Robert the Bruce.

The tissue damage to her feet caused by the frostbite continued to progress. Her feet were in bad shape, making it difficult for her to walk and swim. While she was losing tissue, she was probably in a tremendous amount of pain.

Somerville Animal Control had been contacted about Ducky at one point, but they were unable to catch her.

Patrick Veistroffer and Beverly Schwartz discuss the rescue.

Olga Akselrod reached out on Facebook asking for help finding sanctuaries or anyone that could help Ducky once she noticed she had frostbite on her beak and feet from the cold spell in February. Miriam Schwartz found Cloa’s Ark Animal Sanctuary, based in Hadley, MA and they offered to come rescue the duck. They were happy to take in a female domestic Muscovy. They have an injured male in residence, and have had numerous Muscovies in the past. They were happy to add a female.

Claudine and Patrick Veistroffer run Cloa’s Ark Animal Sanctuary. They both made the drive to Somerville from Hadley this past Tuesday, and, in coordination with Somerville Animal Control, Patrick managed to capture Ducky.

Cloa’s Ark Animal Sanctuary’s Patrick Veistroffer pulls Ducky the Bruce from the frigid waters of the Mystic River.

Please consider giving a donation to Cloa’s Ark Animal Sanctuary to help them continue to feed, care for, and cover veterinary costs for the animals who call the sanctuary home and to continue to rescue animals who have suffered from abuse, neglect, and abandonment. Go to https://www.cloasark.org to learn more and to make a donation.

Patrick Veistroffer, Beverly Schwartz and Olga Akselrod.

Above all, Beverly Schwartz is emphatic in stating, “The most important message is to not release domestic animals into the wild. At Easter, too many people buy chicks and ducklings and when they get past the cute and fuzzy stage, they are released into a local pond or river where they become prey.”

Thanks to the generous and loving souls who helped made this rescue possible, Ducky will have a safe place to live out her life as it should be lived.

Ducky the Bruce, safe and sound at last.