4 Ducks Shot to Death at Costa Mesa’s ‘Duck Park’

An undated photo of Muscovy ducks Grace and Mr. Chipper, which were found shot to death at TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa, Calif., on April 18, 2022. Courtesy of Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center

COSTA MESA, Calif.—Four ducks were found shot to death on the morning of April 18 at TeWinkle Park—often nicknamed the “duck park” by local residents—in Costa Mesa, California, and the city’s police department is still searching for the suspect.

Last seen on Easter Sunday, the ducks—one male mallard, two Muscovy ducks known as Mr. Chipper and Grace, and one Pekin duck named Darryl—were shot multiple times each, according to Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center, a Huntington Beach-based non-profit specializing in orphaned wildlife rescue, rehabilitation, and release.

“My initial reaction was to wonder how hollow and cruel the mind of the person is, who murdered these innocent animals,” Debbie McGuire, executive director of the non-profit, said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times. “A shudder of fear and sadness ran down my spine.”

An X-ray shows four bullet wounds sustained by a Muscovy duck that was found shot to death at TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa, Calif., on April 18, 2022. Courtesy of Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center

McGuire said that human-caused atrocities such as the killing of the four ducks happen almost every day, but “the magnitude of this senseless shooting makes it one of the more solemn events” witnessed in recent memory.

“It is very unfortunate because these are special animals,” Jaret Davey, a wildlife technician for the non-profit, told The Epoch Times. “I work here because I love these kinds of animals, and it’s so upsetting to see someone just, like, hate them.”

TeWinkle Park regular Michelle Berger, who saw the birds “alive and happy” just before sunset on Easter Sunday, said she “was in tears” upon her discovery.

A collage of the four ducks discovered shot to death at TeWinkle Park in Costa Mesa, Calif., on April 18, 2022. Courtesy of Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center

The organization asks the community to contact the Costa Mesa Police Department with any information about the assailant.

“The assailant is shooting firearms in a neighborhood park,” said McGuire, executive director of the non-profit. “If they were to miss their target, a stray bullet could hit an innocent person or a passing car.”