Local residents Danita Higham, left, and Maddy Jensen with Gary the Duck in toe in downtown Port Elgin.

Hub Staff

It's not unusual to see somebody walking their dog through downtown Port Elgin but a duck waddling down the sidewalk is a sight slightly less common.

For 7 week old Gary the Duck, also known as Gary the Easter Duck, it's just part of her day as she follows her ‘mother,’ Port Elgin resident Danita Higham, wherever she goes.

Higham took Gary under her wing after a fox had taken a couple of hers and she had been on the lookout for some new ones. “Someone phoned me after they saw it on Kijiji and said this duck's been orphaned, someone left her on the ground in a cardboard box and said come pick her up,” said Higham June 6 during a walk downtown Port Elgin with her daughter Maddy; Gary a wingspan behind.

On Easter Sunday the then newly hatched Gary was picked up. “Because they imprint, the first person they see is their mother, so she now follows me everywhere, she's with us all the time,” said Higham.

Higham explained that the name Gary came from the family comedy movie, The Pacifier, starring Vin Diesel. “He babysits and they have that duck named Gary that lives in the house.”

She said Gary has been a good and friendly pet. “You put her to bed at night and you don't hear a peep. Everybody says they've never seen a duck that doesn't peck at your face but she’s very cuddly.” Higham added that Gary also gets along well with her dogs. “I've got two big dogs and she cleans their feet, their ears and teeth,” she said.

Higham said she takes Gary to a little creek every day for regular swimming lessons and has been teaching her to fend for herself. “I've taught her to forage for food and leeches and stuff like that,” she said.

Seven weeks on and Gary has lost most of her baby feathers. “I miss the baby fluff already,” said Higham. “Her wings are just humongous. The feathers haven't come in yet,” she said but added they should be in in another week to a week and a half.

Unsure about Gary's future Higham said she has a feeling that Gary is going to be a house duck. “She's too friendly. She'll fly to hunters and dogs,” she said, adding that she also worries that Gary will try and fly after her car if she goes anywhere. “I'm going to have to tie it up in the barn, in a stall, until I'm gone and see what happens but I'll have to spend a couple of weeks there until she gets used to it.”

Gary could be part of Higham's life for a while, which she said is fine. “They live 10 to 15 years and I'm okay with that. I'll build her a saddle bag on the horse or she can fly beside it,” she laughed.

Gary cuddles up with his adopted family, Danita Higham, left, and Maddy Jensen June 6.

Seven week old Gary the Duck checks out the sights of downtown Port Elgin.