Working for Aflac is the most luxurious life a duck could possibly have.
And the insurance company has just selected two Fannin County ducks for this opportunity.
“These two boys, who someone literally dumped like they were trash and didn’t have any worth, are now going to live a life of luxury,” Julie Wooten, the founder and director of Waddle on Inn said.
Waddle on Inn is a duck rescue for lost, abandoned or surrendered ducks and waterfowl.
The two lucky ducks don’t yet have names. But they do have a back story.
Both of them are Jumbo Pekins rescued after their original owners released them.
The first was injured after being released into the wild. Another was on the edge of starvation before it was brought to Waddle on Inn.
But when Aflac saw these two, they fit the bill.
“They’re very particular on what the characteristics of the ducks are,” Wooten said.
At Aflac, the ducks will serve as mascots and live with their trainer, she said.
They will do five hours of work per month for 15 minutes at a time.
The ducks might show up on ESPN or other nationwide television events.
For the tricks a normal duck can’t do, Aflac has a robotic duck.
Ducks are surprisingly intelligent, Wooten said.
In her time working with them, she
has seen ducks cry at the death of their friends, form deep emotional bonds and more.
“When their mates or a member of their flock dies, they grieve. And they grieve hard,” Wooten said.
Domestic ducks have been bred to live with people for ages. They can’t live in the wild.
“That’s like taking a puppy and dropping it in the National Forest and thinking it’s going to act the same as a wolf,” Wooten said.
Even if domestic ducks can’t survive in the wild, owners abandon a shocking number of them, she said.
Right now, Waddle on Inn has about 175 ducks and other fowl currently in its care. These include Jumbo Pekins, mallards, Muscovies and more.
Since the start of January of this year, Waddle on Inn has rescued 4,000 ducks.
For ducks, abandonment is a death sentence unless someone intervenes.
“They typically starve to death, and they also get attacked by predators,” Wooten said.
To save ducks in need, she has braved lakes with alligators, gotten soaked, and spent long days trying to save injured birds.
In her work, she has discovered that sometimes ducks that appear to be beyond saving can recover from their injuries.
“We’ve shown that you can have a duck that has been horrifically injured that will heal perfectly,” she said.
Those wishing to either adopt a duck, volunteer or donate to Waddle on Inn’s work can do so at https://www.waddleoninnrescue.org.