What is it about feeding ducks on a pond that is so universally appealing? The management company that runs Al Ghadeer community clearly underestimated the depth of feeling to its plan to remove the 30 or so ducks from its lake. A petition quickly gathered hundreds of signatures and prompted the company, Khidmah, to back down.
The decision was based in part by concerns that the ducks might be adversely affected by cleaning products used in the lake and that their droppings affected the amenity of public areas. But those concerns were clearly outweighed by the enjoyment residents took in interacting with the ducks.
Part of the appeal might be the ducks’ cute waddling or the quacks of delight when fed by children, but there might also be specific UAE-related factors: the diminished ability to interact with nature and the ephemeral nature of many residents’ lives that prevents them having pets, so they have bonded with the ducks instead.
