Late this morning we found one of the duckling ramps pulled out of the water and laid ignominiously on the grass. While there are no more ducklings to use it, the adult ducks still use it, and it's an important place, during these chilly days, for the turtles to sun themselves.
A member of Team Duck reviewed today's tape from the PondCam and found that a girl from a family of four simply uprooted the ramp and put it on the grass. The family watched on and didn't try to stop her.
At least it's still in one piece, and I've taken it in, cleaned it off, and made it ready for use next year.
Why people would do this is beyond me. The ramp was clearly there for a reason, and turtles were sunning themselves on it just yesterday. The behavior of people around the pond, and around the ducks, has generally been quite respectful, but this kind of behavior seems destructive.
There may be a charitable explanation for what I see as a kind of vandalism, but I don't know what it is. If it is just destruction, the perps should be ashamed of themselves.
That ramp was crucial for the survival of Dorothy's ducklings, as it was the only way they could get out of the channel and on land, and they used it constantly starting just two days after they jumped down to the pond. I've sequestered the ramp rather than replace it as I don't want it uprooted again and maybe even stolen. It was a great piece of equipment made with the kind help of Facilities, and can be used next year—assuming there will be ducklings.