Ducks at Hulhudhoo park die en masse; locals suspect foul play

Ducks at a popular public park in the Hulhudhoo district of Addu City have been dying en masse, sparking allegations of foul play.

Opened two years ago, the duck park in Hulhudhoo houses bird houses, attracting flocks of ducks, pigeons and other birds, as well as a pond with schools of colorful fish.

The park attracts scores of locals and tourists each day.

A Facebook user on Saturday shared photos of ducks and fish found dead at the park.

He alleges they were deliberately poisoned.

Hussain Faiz-uh Rahman, a councilman from Addu, said the deaths at the duck park came to their attention on Thursday.

At first, it was just the ducks found dead, but now, the fish are dying too.

He, too, suspects foul play.

He said that while they suspect the use of a poison, the council’s investigations have so far been inconclusive.

Faiz said that seven out of eight ducks at the park are now dead, with the eighth one also sick.

“We are trying to identity the cause. We have also reported this to the police. This requires testing, which we do not have the ability to conduct. It is by identifying the cause, rather than the people responsible, that we can take preventive action,” he said.

Faiz said the council is discussing installing CCTV cameras at the park.