Expert: Roger Lederer - 6/9/2009

Question
QUESTION: There is a pond at a park that several types of ducks and geese.  This morning we saw a young female "mating" with several males.  The back of the head/neck area was bloody and raw from the males.  I was unable to get her away from the males.  They just kept mounting her on the land and then in the water.  She could hardly walk when on land and there were so many males on her that I believe they actually drown her.  She did not return to the surface when the male ducks finally stopped being aggressive.  How often does this happen?  And why?

ANSWER: This is perfectly normal behavior, although it may not seem so to us. Some people even describe it as rape. Many male Mallards often try to mate with a female at the same time. This happens even more often in an artificial situation with hybrid ducks as in a city pond.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Just because they participate in the behavior does not make it "normal" behavior.  And if I witness the behavior again I plan on kicking the crap out of the offenders.  They killed her!  And that behavior is not OK in any animal.  They do it because they can, ugly, ugly beasts

Answer
Normal in the duck world, not ours. It happens a lot. Female spiders eat the male after mating; that's normal as well. Kicking the crap out of the offenders is not exactly a measured response and is illegal. And do your really think the males will learn from your punishment? May make you feel better, but ducks will be ducks.