How do you pick up a duck?

Did you know that ducks tend to bite people if they’re threatened, and they become immediately wary of you if you approach them suddenly?

So how can you successfully hold a duck? Just to clarify, you shouldn’t just randomly pick up any ducks, okay? They may be adorable, but they’re still wild animals. Unless, of course, you own one and you’re just here for a tutorial. (But I doubt that’s the case if you’re reading this here.)

PHOTO: Unsplash/Hussain Badshah

In a video posted by Instagram user seducktive (pretty cool username btw), he demonstrates the common problems and mistakes one makes when trying to pick up a duck.

“So, you’ve found yourself a duck, but you find yourself chasing after it. It always runs away when you try to pick it up. Don’t do this.” He showed in the video how he tried approaching Wrinkle the Duck from behind.

“If you’re behind, that should remind you that that’s wrong.”

Okay! Noted. Never approach a duck from behind. This applies to any animal, I suppose… Maybe it triggers their instincts to run away from predators, or maybe it’s just a herding thing?

Since approaching it from behind is a no-no, OP said that you should get in front of the duck and (kindly) introduce yourself and state your intentions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClRR_FBp4h1/?hl=en

Can I just say that I’m loving the matching shoes here? You fancy red shoe-wearing duck, you.

“Hello, Duck. My name is (insert name here), and I’m going to pick you up now.”

Politeness never fails, I tell you.

Once you’ve stated your intentions, place your hand firmly underneath the duck, palm-side up, and lift. Tada!

“Congratulations. You are now holding a duck.”

Though it looks like this strategy doesn’t always work, because one person said that they tried approaching a duck from the front, but it still ran away. Granted, Wrinkle the Duck is a professional duck and has been with her owners since the pandemic, so there’s already an established trust between duck and human.

For wild ducks, you still shouldn’t chase them in hopes of picking one up. For a more successful attempt, experts say that you should lower yourself down to their level and maybe offer safe food to help encourage them to get near you. You can also either do seducktive’s tip on putting your hands under them, or you can place one hand on each side of their body to keep them from flapping their wings.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CpP6ARdOWTa/

Successfully picking one up is a slightly lengthy process, and making them trust you is essential. Oh, and wearing thick clothing and gloves is optimal, because, as I’ve said earlier, ducks can get aggressive if they feel uncomfortable.

Safety first! But hopefully, with these tips, you’ll be on your merry way of picking ducks up without spending energy on chasing them first.