23 ducks die of suspected botulism believed to be in Boston Public Garden lagoon
The lagoon is being drained.
Nearly two dozen ducks have died as a result of botulism that experts believe they contracted while in the Boston Public Garden lagoon.So far, 23 ducks have been brought to the MSPCA’s Angell Animal Medical Center recently. All were too sick to be treated and were euthanized, Rob Halpin, the MSPCA’s director of communications, said in an email.Necropsies have since been performed on four of the ducks, and all are thought to have died of botulism, Halpin said. The organization has since sent off samples from the ducks to be tested for botulism; it could take two weeks for the results to come back. MSPCA pathology officials are also working with botulism experts in case any other birds are brought in and are treatable.The lagoon, meanwhile, is being drained. A couple of factors led to the water becoming unsafe for the ducks. The swan boats had helped to stop the growth of harmful things in the water with their paddles and wheels, but they didn’t hit the water this year due to COVID-19 concerns. The summer has also been exceedingly hot and lacking rain at times.Once the lagoon is fully drained in a few days, sediment will be cleaned from the bottom. It will then be refilled.
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