An awwww story... I like this one!
Posted: Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:04 pm
OWATONNA, Minn. (AP) - A hen mallard has made a nest for herself and her babies-to-be in an unusual spot - a local hardware store's garden department.
The odd duck moved in about three weeks ago and laid eggs in a planter in a sheltered area of Lowe's outdoor garden center, store manager Dave Murray said.
Unsure what to do, Murray called the Steele County Humane Society, and the organization then alerted the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
The DNR said the birds are federally protected and their nests cannot be relocated until the eggs hatch. Mallards are not endangered, but an international migratory bird treaty protects most birds. Tampering with a nest has a fine of $500.
"If you attempt to move the nest, the hen will desert it," said DNR waterfowl specialist Ray Norrgard.
To keep anyone from disturbing the nest, Murray cordoned off the area. Yet despite his effort, the hen may have already moved out. Murray said she hasn't been seen much in the last week. Norrgard said mallards sometimes abandon their nests. For Murray, it isn't the first time animals have called one of his stores home. When he managed a Lowe's store in Panama City, Fla., a lizard lived in the ceiling fan area.