People outraged after someone killed dozens of ducks in Macclenny pond

MACCLENNY, Fla. — Some Baker County neighbors are furious after they said someone killed dozens of geese and ducks outside of a nursing home.

The animal killing happened outside the Macclenny Nursing Home & Rehabilitation Center.

People told Action News Jax they would often come to feed the dozens of animals that lived in that pond and now it’s empty.

Baker County Sheriff’s deputies said Florida wildlife employees found an indication that the birds were shot with small pellets.

Joann Parich couldn’t believe someone intentionally harmed the birds that once lived here.

“They were here, they didn’t harm nobody, they were just like a human person. They liked to be fed. They would come to the fence, they would come up because they know you have the bread in your hand, they would come up and get the bread from you,” Parich said.

Parich used to work at the facility; now she has friends who live inside and she was devastated when she heard someone killed those animals.

“Whoever done it, they need to be punished for it,” Parich said.

Forrest Wheeler is another neighbor who was upset when he heard what happened to the birds.

His wife lives at this nursing home and he said the pond was often a place where people would visit.

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“Some of the residents here don’t get to go out very often. It’s a senseless act of violence,” Wheeler said.

People who live nearby are hopeful the person responsible for these bird deaths is found.

“It was very painful and hurtful for people to do something like that,” Parich said.

The staff members at the nursing home would not comment but one employee said they did keep the residents inside to prevent them from seeing the dead animals lying around the pond.

Cox Media Group