After a tip-off from a member of the public, rescuers recovered 42 illegally shot, threatened Freckled Ducks from Lake Bullrush, south of the Grampians, during the first week of the 2014 recreational duck shooting season.

Altogether that year, rescuers recovered over 100 illegally shot, threatened Freckled Ducks from just a handful of wetlands during the 3-month duck shooting season. 

Dead threatened and protected Freckled Ducks displayed outside the Premier’s office in 2014

After being closed to shooting because of the presence of Freckled Ducks at the start of the season, Bartlett’s Swamp, a private wetland near Box Flat, was opened on May 7. Within the first 10 minutes, rescuers recovered an illegally shot Freckled Duck.

Shot within 10 minutes

If the Coalition Against Duck Shooting rescue teams had not patrolled these wetlands, the illegal slaughter would have gone undetected.

The beautiful Freckled Duck, which is unique to Australia, is said to be one of the rarest duck species in the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) estimates the Freckled Duck population at only 11,000 – 26,000.

The Freckled Duck is listed as Endangered on the Department of Environment and Primary Industries’ ‘Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria 2013’ and Threatened under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

Freckled Duck