Jeanette the Korokoro Car Park Duck: Recovery Update
- Nyssa Skorji
- Jun 3
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Jeanette the Korokoro car park Muscovy duck has become something of a local celebrity - and her rescue story is one for the books.
The Mischievous Muscovy of Korokoro
Jeanette had been living at the entrance to Korokoro for a while, spotted perching on car roofs and wandering the car park. The Korokoro community had been keeping an eye on her and feeding her, but it was clear she needed proper care - her foot had a small bumble developing, and a car park is no place for a duck long-term.
The Trap
Getting Jeanette in was not easy. She was, as we described her at the time, a very cautious duck. We borrowed a humane trap from the SPCA and set it up in the area - but Jeanette was having none of it. She was far too savvy to walk into a trap, and our volunteers spent considerable time attempting to catch "the elusive girl" before finally succeeding.
Her rescue even made the pages of Hutt City News, with locals following the story closely. The community response was wonderful - people genuinely cared about this duck.
Recovery and Settling In
Once we finally had her, Jeanette settled in beautifully. She has a small bumble on her foot that is getting better, and she has made friends with our other ducks. She has a safe, clean space to roam and is clearly very keen on the free food situation.
We have clipped her flight feathers so she can recover safely in the yard rather than needing to be kept inside 24/7 - or flying back to the car park. Her flight feathers will grow back at her next moult, and by then we are hoping she will have decided that Flock is home.
About Muscovy Ducks
Muscovy ducks are an introduced species in New Zealand, so they do not fall under our DOC permit. But we care for introduced species alongside native birds at Flock - no animal in need is turned away. Every creature in our care gets the same level of attention and love.
Thank You Korokoro Community
A huge thank you to the Korokoro community for looking out for Jeanette, following her story, and letting us know she needed help. This is exactly the kind of community connection that makes our work possible.
Support Flock Birdcare Wellington - we are a volunteer-run charitable trust and every donation goes directly to patient care. Visit www.flockwellington.com/donate to make a one-off or monthly contribution. Every feathered friend we release is thanks to people like you.
Jeanette's fame didn't stop there. We also talked about her rescue on Wellington Access Radio.
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