WildCare Foundation Helps Rescue Duck At Lake Overholser

La Jan Fields goes to Lake Overholser regularly.

On Sunday, she was walking along the fishing dock when she noticed a duck with a limp. A fishing line was tangled multiple times around the duck’s leg.

When Fields returned to the lake on Tuesday, the duck was still there near the fishing dock with an even more swollen right leg.

“It’s discolored now. He’s having more trouble walking,” said Fields.

News 9 contacted WildCare Foundation in Noble to see if they could help, and in an hour, they drove out to the rescue. 

It took more than an hour, but O.T. Sanders and Rondi Large with WildCare were able to capture the duck in a net.

Seeing this unfold moved Fields to tears. This little creature means more to her than just an average duck.

Lake Overholser was her granddaughter Ruby’s favorite place to watch birds. Ruby was killed in a drunk driving crash last year.

“She was only 22 months old, but when she would see ducks, she would just squeal, so I got to help this one for Ruby,” she said.

“It’s not necrotic tissue yet so he’s very lucky that we found him and could actually get our hands on him,” Large said. 

They untangled some of the fishing line on the spot, but the duck’s leg is torn so deep and bleeding that they are taking her back to WildCare to heal the foot completely.

In about one week, this duck will be set free back at Lake Overholser.

Fields is looking forward to seeing her feathered friend again. She even gave this lucky duck a very special name, Ruby.