Ducklings disappear mysteriously Unknown predator at the Siegburg pond
Siegburg · Could it be that Nessie is causing trouble around here? For the past two weeks, ducklings are disappearing suddenly at the Trerichsweiher in Siegburg.City council and landscape supervisor are increasing their checks.
Ralf Beyer cannot explain who has it in for the ducklings at the Tererichsweiher in Siegburg. The head of the parks and gardens department can say, however, that a so far unseen creature is causing trouble in the nature reserve. „I have seen it with my own eyes that a duckling suddenly disappeared from the water surface“, he says. Passers-by have witnessed similar events and informed the city council. Since then, Beyer and his team enforced the patrol checks around the waters. They get support from the landscape supervisor of the lower nature conservation authority of the Rhein-Sieg-Kreis.
„We suspect that we are not dealing with Nessie or something similar, but are witnessing a very natural cause“, says Beyer. After checking with the Sieg fishery cooperative, it could be a large pike or a catfish, responsible for the ducks’ deaths. The latter would have to be an abandoned animal as it would not appear naturally in these waters. A pike would also be an unusual guest: „But it is possible that a water bird brought pike eggs over from different waters“, explains Beyer. Pikes, who were „Fish Of The Year“ in 2016, are considered to be aggressive predators who stay near the shore and feed on fish of all sorts but also birds and small mammals.
„We have to make sure that nobody abandoned an animal from a terrarium in the Trerichsweiher“, explains Beyer the enforced checks. It would not be an usual thing to happen. Beyer tells of piranhas who were found in the Sieg river a few years ago. „But they did not survive a long time.“ And for a while, there were turtles living in the Trerichsweiher. „They would lie in the sun on the fallen tree stems in the water.“
One walker claims to have seen a reptile in one. „But on the pictures he sent in, it’s not clearly recognisable. It is possible to see something through some parts of the pondweed which swims towards the ducks.“
Beyer is now hoping to find out more about the „creature“ with more frequent patrols. But he sees no need for action yet. „We need to find out first, what is happening here“, he said. Only if it is an exotic animal or something unnatural that got lost in this pond, Beyer and his team will take action. Otherwise they have to leave nature to itself.
(Original text: Nadine Quadt / Translation: Mareike Graepel)
