Mystery surrounds dead ducks found at Hollenbeck Park

The hypotheses abound, but the answers are few: what – or who – is killing the ducks at Hollenbeck Park?

Several of the birds were found dead over the past few days in or near the lake at Hollenbeck Park. Councilman Kevin de León said one duck had its throat slit.

“We want to get to the bottom of this, obviously, because it’s something we care deeply about,” the councilman said, adding that a necropsy will determine the cause of death of the four other fowls.

Hollenbeck Park is described as a lush oasis in the urban sprawl of Boyle Heights. The birds that live there are generally favored by locals and visitors alike.

“They’re beautiful,” said Lisa Acevedo, for whom the waterfowl are one of the main reasons she visits the park. Acevedo said the birds relax her and make her feel “centered.”

Acevedo didn’t personally see the dead ducks from this past weekend, but she said she has seen other animals, including fish, floating around lifeless in the park’s lake.

Vicente Sanchez said he’s seen dead ducks in the past. Like many in the area, he chalks it up to something deadly in the water.

The question, though, is what.

De León said all possibilities are being considered, including a possible algae bloom in the water, maybe bacteria build-up, or even someone targeting the animals with poison. The councilman is encouraging people who live nearby to turn over surveillance video if it captured anything relevant.

He believes the animal deaths validate his push for a complete rehabilitation of the park, which has been around since the late 1800s. That rehabilitation will include draining the water and cleaning it.

De León has already secured $25 million in funding to get that done.