Sixth-grader admits stabbing ducks with pencil

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http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/05/04/ducks. ... index.html

Sixth-grader admits stabbing ducks with pencil

WICHITA, Kansas (AP) -- A sixth-grader stabbed to death a mother duck and two ducklings that had nested near a school, distressing the other children and alarming officials who said the boy needs mental health treatment.

Students at Wilbur Middle School had named the mother duck Lucy and were monitoring her and her brood, making sure no one disturbed the nest in a grassy creek bed. Their mutilated bodies -- stabbed with a pencil -- were found this week.

An announcement over the public address system led the boy to admit the killings, officials said. They said he had also talked about the act to classmates and didn't understand why it was wrong.

The boy, whose name was not released, was suspended Wednesday. His return to the school will hinge on a hearing.

School officials were responding "the way we do whenever we believe that a child might be a risk to himself or others," said Liz McGinness, who coordinates the district's mental health crisis team.

She said his parents were being told they must seek outside mental health care. "We really don't mince words on this," she said. "We know that animal cruelty is a very serious, significant behavior."

No decision has been made on possible criminal charges. Killing mallard ducks is illegal this time of year, and even in hunting season, the way they were killed would be illegal, officials said.

Mark Rankin, assistant director of law enforcement for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, said the boy may not be charged because of his age. A hunting violation charge could bring an adult up to seven days in jail and a $250 fine, while animal cruelty carries up to a year in jail and $10,000 in fines, he said.

Kris Meckenstock said his seventh-grade son helped monitor the nest and "just can't believe somebody could be so mean."

"By the same token, I think that kid obviously needs help," Meckenstock added. "My thought is, we need to look a little bit further and find out why somebody would have those tendencies."

Wilbur students and staff held a ceremony Thursday "to share their grief for these animals," McGinness said.

I agree the boy needs to be checked out by a mental health professional. But why is this news? You have kids younger than him killing people much less baby ducks.

I find it strange that this made cnn, particularly in light of the fact that this culture has no gumption about killing birds wholesale, under far more ghastly conditions than this duck and its ducklings ever lived or died.

I'm not sure I believe this. If you have ever tried to feed bread to the ducks in the local duck ponds they do not let people get that close to them. I remember as a young child forever trying to catch a duck or baby duckling so I could feel what its feathers felt like. Never did get ahold of one. So I don't think a duck would just lie there and be stabbed by a pencil and it would take an exact jab to the heart or jugular to stop it with one fast strike.

This may not be true. There's worse stuff than this though that never makes the news. Probably people will get in an uproar over this story, but no one cared about the autistic kid that was shot by police.

I hadn't thought of that ticker... good point. I too don't understand why it is national news...

death is a hard concept...

i remember finding my kitty dead when i was young and i didn't realize what was wrong. i picke up (the body) and carried him up to my parents in their bed just to ask them.

i didnt read every single word... but did he seem sorry for what he did or in shock or WAS he kinda evil-ish about it... like he KNEW what he did (if not the rammifications)

My friend mike f****d up a bunch of geese before. I thought it was pretty funny.

Is he a bedwetter and/or pyromaniac?

Baby ducks are worth more than people in my book.

I don't know about that - there are some mallard ducks at my parents' condo complex that are pretty tame. They practically take bread out of my dad's hand (they don't trust me because they don't know me). Also, if my dad sleeps in during the weekend, they make a holy racket outside of his window until he gets up and feeds them - they know WHAT TIME they are supposed to be fed!

I do not get how people can hurt animals
I mean, if it's a person, there is most likely reasons for it... not saying that killing a person would be better, but I could definaly see more possiable reasons for it.
Poor ducks

Mine too.

If a house was on fire and you had the opportunity to choose to save only either a baby duck or a baby human, which would you choose?

Dont hate me for the pun, but are you people gone quackers? Ducks are not any more valuable than people, ducks are way LESS valuable and they are quite tasty too!

Personally, I love ducks - especially when they are served with cabbage and dumplings.

But I wouldn't go stab them to death with a pencil. It's one thing to kill an animal for food, but it's quite another matter if someone goes and kills a duck just for the hell of it - and in such a gruesome way, to boot.

hehe...I'm not a big duck fan, although I am pretty a pretty finicky eater.



Agreed. It's morally repellent in my opinion.