Who could do such a thing ? | marji's Blog

70 ducklings waddle to Bever Park By Jeff Raasch The Gazette jeff.raasch@gazettecommunications.com Photo (Cliff Jette/The Gazette) Young ducks, ranging from 8 to 12-weeks-old, arrive at their temporary home in former monkey house in Bever Park in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, October 7, 2008. A total of 70 ducks of fifteen different species will replace the ducks massacred by vandals over the summer at the Bever Park Children's Zoo. Donations funded the purchase of the ducks from a registered supplier of North American waterfowl located in Minnesota CEDAR RAPIDS - In a place called the monkey house, ducklings are waddling this morning. Seventy young ducks arrived at the Bever Park Children's Zoo late Tuesday from a hatchery in Lakeville, Minn. They will replace the 47 ducks that were stoned and beaten to death by vandals in June. Fifteen species of ducks — including Teals, pintails and Canvasbacks — were bought for about $3,000, said Gail Loskill, a spokeswoman for the parks and recreation department. They are all 8 to 12 weeks old and were paid for entirely by donations. The public won't be able to get a glimpse of the new ducks until next spring, when the children's zoo reopens. They will be safeguarded in the former monkey house for the winter, until they are old enough to mingle with older ducks already at the zoo. Police have not made any arrests in the duck killings, despite a reward fund of more than $8,800. They plan to appeal to school newspapers, with hope they will publicize the reward. "We were hopeful that someone would be caught, but unfortunately that hasn't happened yet," said Loskill. "We haven't given up quite yet." Photo (Amanda LaRae Larkin/The Gazette) New baby ducks will arrive at the Bever Children's Zoo's former monkey house, seen here on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2008, at Bever Park in Cedar Rapids, where they will stay during the winter until they are old enough to be integrated with the existing adults birds in the spring. More than $5,200 was donated for replacement ducks. If the donor is in agreement, the leftover funds will be used for two security systems at the children's zoo, Loskill said. One will be placed on the pen that houses the ducks, and will include an audible alarm to notify police if it's triggered. Another motion-activated alarm and security camera will be installed in the barn area at Old MacDonald's Farm, where there has been vandalism in the past. Loskill said the security systems will cost about $34,000, which will come primarily from two bequests to the parks and recreation department. Anyone with information about the June duck killings is asked to call police at 1-(800) 272-7463.