And you think you’ve had a rough couple of days! Perky the Duck was happily flying by when she was suddenly shot down by a hunter. Now, this is usually where the story of being a duck ends, but it was just the beginning for Perky. The hunter, believing the duck was dead, brought her home and put her in the fridge, no doubt looking forward to a nice meal of roast duck some time down the road.
It was not be be, however, because when the hunter’s wife opened the fridge two days later, she was shocked to see the duck’s head pop up and look at her. She quickly rushed the plucky duck to a local animal hospital, and then on to the Goose Creek Animal Sanctuary where she was given more specialized treatment. Vets at the sanctuary gave Perky a 75% chance of survival. They were optimistic about her chances for recovery, but doubted she would ever be well enough to be released into the wild.
The gunshot wounds had injured Perky’s wing, leg and bill, and as veterinarians were conducting surgery to repair the damage, her heart suddenly stopped. Dismayed, senior vet David Hale declared her officially dead. Amazingly, however, in yet another death defying comeback, Perky came around, stuck her head up, and began flapping her wings! Few details have been made public about how the medical team brought Perky back to life, but the Associated Press said she was revived using CPR.
Perky is now recovering at the Goose Creek Animal Sanctuary where she is expected to make a good recovery. Time will tell if she will heal enough to return to the wild. She has a pin in her wing, so her chances of flying again are uncertain. Either way though, it seems she will be welcomed at the sanctuary for as long as she needs to stay.
UPDATE: You can buy a Lucky Duck T-Shirt with a picture of Perky on it by clicking here. The proceeds go to the Goose Creek Animal Sanctuary, and help with Perky’s recovery.