FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Residents of a Fort Lauderdale apartment complex are angry after they said management hired an exterminator to kill ducks in the community.
Cellphone video captured by one of the residents showed an exterminator was called out to The Falls at Marina Bay apartments, Monday afternoon.
“What are you doing? You killing them?” the concerned resident could be heard saying in the video. “They hired you?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I don’t want to offend anybody,” the unidentified trapper could be heard saying in response, “and that’s why I try to do it as quietly as possible.”
The ducks are reportedly a problem for some individuals who go in and out of the marina, but many residents disagree.
“We here are all animal lovers,” said resident Gigi Santoro.
“This habitat is their habitat. We live here, but they were here before,” added resident Roberto Fazzi.
According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Muscovy ducks are not native and shooting them with a pellet rifle is allowed by law.
“What are you using?” the concerned resident asked in the cellphone video.
“A pellet rifle. Can you get me the pellets so I can–,” the exterminator said in return.
“All of them, you’re going to kill?” asked the concerned resident.
“No, I got the other ones out here. I don’t even want to kill any of them,” the exterminator said in response. “This isn’t my favorite thing to do, but by law, I’m allowed.”
Several residents ran out of their apartments when they heard the exterminator at work.
“And then he started shooting to the bushes, and then I ran,” said witness Jackie Potoukian.
For the concerned residents, their issue with the killings is the way it was handled.
“I saw him. The poor duck was bleeding, and he was moving. He was suffering,” said Potoukian. “How could you do that? That’s barbaric. That’s inhumane.”
“He had the duck down, and he just kept shooting it instead of the way they’re supposed to do it,” added witness Steven Horrillo, “like wringing the neck or shoot it in the head.”
In the video, the trapper could be seen shooting one of the ducks.
“Don’t do this!” a resident said in the video.
“I’m sorry, guys. I’m just–” the exterminator said. “You can record me. It’s fine.”
Management at the apartment complex said the ducks cause waste in the area.
They released a statement that said, “While we wanted to remove the ducks, we never intended for the use of guns and/or any other violent means. We have taken steps with our contractor to ensure this does not take place in the future.”
A rescue group in Margate said they are willing to take the ducks. However, they have to physically relocate the ducks from the apartment complex to Margate.
Meanwhile, FWC officials spoke to residents, but it remains unclear what has been determined in their investigation.
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