VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Residents in the Rosemont Forest neighborhood, near Stumpy Lake, say they’re worried someone may be harming the ducks that frequently gather in the area.
Iva Nenova, who lives nearby, said she and her young son visit the ducks daily and have grown attached to the flock.
“We’ve been visiting them every day. We were so sad — I was crying for a few days,” she said.
Nenova said her family has watched several generations of ducks hatch and grow. But last month, she and other neighbors noticed the flock had suddenly begun to shrink over the course of two days.
“They were starting to grow, and we would just go and see them daily because they’re cute. My son loves ducks,” she said.
According to Nenova, neighbors reported seeing one duck with a wound on its back.
When a neighbor returned to collect the bird for the authorities, it had disappeared.
She and others now believe several ducks may have been shot with a pellet gun. One neighbor reported finding a dead duck with what appeared to be a pencil-eraser-sized hole in its body.
Virginia Beach Animal Control said it currently has no active cases involving ducks being shot. Still, residents say the incidents feel increasingly frequent. Some neighbors have posted signs on light poles and organized small demonstrations in an effort to raise awareness.
“The more people know, the more — if they see something — they will say something. They will contact authorities so we don’t allow shootings to happen in our neighborhood,” Nenova said.
