Source: News & Observer
When you think of ducks what comes to mind? For me, I think of Daffy Duck and how he will always be the sidekick of Bugs Bunny no matter how hard he tries to be the star. I think of the duck from the AFLAC commercials although Mayhem from Allstate is my favorite. I even think of wealthy but grumpy Scrooge McDuck. But nothing compares to the strange but real-life Duck Man of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Just so we are clear, this is not a half-human half-duck situation. I’m sure you were thinking this is going to be a grocery store checkout aisle tabloid story in the making. Not even close… but it is a human parenting ducks.
Tyler Allen, a biologist and graduate of N.C. State University, can be seen casually walking the streets of downtown Raleigh with his herd of ducks. Yes, ducks can be called a herd amongst other things when walking on land, I did my research on this.
Tyler has four ducks named Ronald, Donald, Otis, LaQuisha and an unnamed baby duck. I can only imagine if they have birth certificates and social security numbers. Can these ducks be claimed as dependents? Because if so, sign me up.
Tyler hatches the ducks from eggs after they spend 28 days in an incubator. Science has shown ducks develop parental imprints from the first thing they see when they open their eyes. Someone has even won a Nobel Peace Prize for this discovery.
