College ducks face bird flu threat
The ducks remain afloat for now, but the danger of bird flu means they could soon be sunk
Oxford’s resident ducks could come under threat as worries grow about the risk of bird flu to the student population. Worcester College undergraduates were recently informed that the college has been considering a proposal to cull its large duck population, but the latest meeting of its Garden Committee concluded that at the moment this would be unnecessary.
In an email to the JCR the Provost of the college, Richard Smethurst, said, “It would nevertheless obviously be a sensible precaution to reduce risks by discouraging the ducks from coming into the front quad, and especially by discouraging them from coming very close to buildings where excrement can get trodden in and carried into staircases, public rooms and kitchens.
He asked students of the college to help by encouraging them to stay down by the lake, since feeding them anywhere else would indirectly hasten their demise. JCR President Dom McKean has promised, “We will try all we can to save the ducks, because everyone would be very sad to lose them.
According to guidelines published by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, “If a case of avian influenza were found in Great Britain, British bird owners will be required, wherever practicable, to move their birds indoors as soon as possible. “In cases where housing is not practicable, the keeper will be required to take all reasonable measures to minimise contact with wild birds.” Edward Wilson is the Worcester fellow entrusted with the care of the college ducks.
Wilson said, “The college is certainly aware of the guidelines.” Measures have been made to keep the ducks, which include six Aylesbury ducklings, coots and some semi-wild mallards, away from one quad where they were often found, which is near graduate and undergraduate rooms as well as the kitchens. Wilson has instructed that the gate to the lake be kept shut at all times, however he believes, “Worcester does not require more [precautionary measures] than that at present.
In the event of an outbreak of avian flu, Wilson said it is probable the ducks will be moved to a farm in Oxfordshire and will not, as the governmental guidelines suggested, be moved indoors. “The college will act prudently, as the situation develops and if the situation develops,” Wilson assured. However JCR Secretary Tsz Fok suggested members of the JCR could get involved in saving their feathered friends.
“If it’s safer to bring them inside, then maybe each student could adopt a duck for the term • we do take our ducks very seriously here.” The Worcester ducks are certainly extremely important to the college. Since last year, the JCR President holds the prestigious title of The Keeper of The Ducks, and is given up to £15 to buy a new duck during their term in office as part of their mandate.
Jamie Frost, a Worcester second year and the founder of a Facebook group called ‘SAVE the Woosta Ducks’, told The Oxford Student, “The Worcester ducks are like family • I feed them every day without fail, and they provide so much entertainment to the college: duck ice skating when the lake is frozen and waddly baby ducklings in the summer. If they were culled I don’t know how I’d cope, frankly it just wouldn’t be worth living anymore.
Worcester’s bird-flu related worries have raised concerns about the rest of the university’s ducks. The future could also be uncertain for the families living in the University Parks. Walter Sawyer, the Superintendent, said, “The authorities have not yet made any decisions about the ducks in the Parks.” He went on to say, “Visitor safety is very important. Our wild fowl is much enjoyed by visitors of all ages.
We are aware of many of the issues involved and we will attempt to make a balanced decision on the basis of the information available to us at the time.” .
2nd Mar 2006