Aug 11, 2008 8:59 am US/Eastern
What's Killing The Ducks In Lowell?
LOWELL (AP) ―
Officials are trying to determine the cause of dozens of duck deaths in the Merrimack River in downtown Lowell.
When a handful of dead ducks were discovered along the Riverwalk earlier this summer, some people thought youths were killing the birds with rocks.
But after the city's animal control officer pulled about 25 dead ducks from the river over the weekend, officials suspect a less sinister cause. David Redding, chief ranger at Lowell National Historical Park, thinks the bacteria avian botulism is to blame.
Health Director Frank Singleton says hot weather and heavy rain flush nutrients into the river, robbing the water of oxygen and allowing the bacteria to flourish. The bacteria attacks the ducks' nervous systems, causing them to drown. There is no risk to humans.
Singleton plans on contacting state wildlife officials to help the investigation.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
