A video of an unidentified individual kicking a campus duck and a photo of another unidentified individual grabbing the duck by the wings started circulating around the University of Miami community on Friday.
According to multiple sources, the duck in the photo and the video is the same beloved duck that the community has named “Ivan.” Ivan is notoriously friendly, frequently waddling up to students in hopes of food or water.
“The duck in the photo and video have the same marking, so I’m not certain that it’s the same duck but I would assume so,” said Alexa Wood, a UPurr member and sophomore studying marine biology and ecology. “In the UPurr GroupMe, people were discussing Ivan and said that he was hanging around outside Daybreak and Smoothie King. Ivan is the only duck that would come up to me and not walk away when I got too close.”
The muscovy duck species is an invasive species and UM has formerly made attempts to remove the ducks from campus. Apart from being non-native, some students find the ducks dirty and aggressive.
This is not the first time that UM’s campus has experienced animal cruelty allegations. In September of 2023, UPurr led an investigation after six cats were found injured on campus.
Many students are upset about the documented animal cruelty and are demanding action. Wood filed a complaint about the documented duck cruelty via the University Hotline.
“I filed a report because I don’t mess with animal abuse,” said Wood. “It could have been so easy to walk away faster, but by antagonizing the duck, the man in the video made the situation so unnecessary. Kicking it was even worse.”
UM authorities are aware of these incidents and is investigating.
“The University of Miami Police Department, the Department of Facilities and Operations and Human Resources are investigating the two incidents and taking appropriate action."University of Miami statement to The Miami Hurricane
“The University of Miami Police Department, the Department of Facilities and Operations and Human Resources are investigating the two incidents and taking appropriate action,” the University of Miami said in a statement to The Hurricane. “Harming wildlife is a criminal offense and perpetrators will be prosecuted. The University of Miami does not condone the mistreatment of animals as viewed in these deplorable acts.”
It is not yet confirmed if the duck has passed. Students suspect that the unidentified individuals may be UM or ABM employees because of their attire in the video and photo.
The individual kicking the duck in the video is wearing a dark green polo and a lanyard, while the individual in the photo is wearing a dark blue shirt, similar to those of ABM.
“I do think it was an employee,” said Wood. “In the video, the person is wearing a lanyard and that’s the token employee uniform.”
Students also acknowledge that while the ducks can sometimes be intrusive, it’s no excuse to be cruel or abusive towards living creatures.
“Even if he pecks at people, it’s important to remember that we share this campus with the wildlife,” said UPurr member Charlotte Watts. “It’s not just ours, and people shouldn’t be so selfish and cruel.”
UPurr and other students are going to search for Ivan on campus today and continue pursuing justice for the duck.
“Ivan was a beloved, very social yet harmless duck. He would go up to you to try to get your attention, but he would never hurt anyone,” said UPurr member Leo Fernandez. Fernandez was also the one who named this duck, earning Ivan a special place in everyone’s heart.
This story was originally published by The Miami Hurricane, the student newspaper of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, as part of an editorial content partnership with the WLRN newsroom.
