DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Nearly 20 Muscovy ducks have vanished from the Breakers Apartment Complex and they're disappearance has residents puzzled.
"They vanished. It's really strange. It's like a ghost town in the pond now," Toni Cross said.
Cross said she only has videos and pictures of the ducks that once congregated outside her apartment.
"It seems odd that someone would come and take all these ducks that are not nice personality. They're wild. They're not domesticated. I don't know what other purpose taking them would serve," Cross said.
But these ducks serve a purpose for Cross, who also knows a lot about animals, as she works for the Tomoka Pines Veterinary Hospital.
"I came out of an abusive situation and I moved into this apartment. It was just so peaceful there. They are actually therapeutic. I mean ... they're an invasive species and they really shouldn't be there, but they are," she said.
The Breakers Apartment Complex also took the duck disappearance seriously. The complex sent out a newsletter, alerting residents and asking them to call police if they see anything suspicious.
Cross showed News 6 the pond where she feeds what's left of the flock. She doesn't believe an animal is to blame for the duck disappearance.
"Animals will make a mess when it's a food chain thing and I found nothing. Nothing," she said.
Cross hopes the ducks that are left will repopulate the pond. She also wants others to be aware, because a case like this could escalate.
"It's ducks now, but what's happening tomorrow? Are they going to start stealing the cars out of there? You just don't know where this is going. It just doesn't seem like a natural phenomenon is taking place here," Cross said.
Daytona Beach Police are aware of the situation. Florida Fish and Wildlife said Muscovy ducks are not regulated species. They're known to be a nuisance who generally serve for aesthetic purposes.