As first reported by The Miami Hurricane, the university's student newspaper, the University of Miami Police Department is investigating footage of a person kicking the duck and a photo of another person grabbing what appeared to be the same duck by the wings on the Coral Gables campus.
Students quickly identified the bird involved in both incidents as Ivan, a celebrity duck on campus who is well-known for being social, friendly, and "frequently waddling up to students in hopes of food or water."
"The University of Miami Police Department, the Department of Facilities and Operations and Human Resources are investigating the two incidents and taking appropriate action," UM told The Hurricane. "Harming wildlife is a criminal offense and perpetrators will be prosecuted. The University of Miami does not condone the mistreatment of animals as viewed in these deplorable acts."
Students suspect that the individuals involved in the incidents may be university employees. The person shown in the video kicking the duck is wearing a dark green polo and some sort of lanyard.@whoisalexawood deleted my others videos bc they distract from my point that this is actually outrageously horrible and so disgusting- this man deserves hell fire (***not my video but it was sent to me and i had to share it) #animalabuse #umiami ♬ What Is Wrong With You? - Nephlym
UM didn't respond to New Times' email questions about whether the individual is employed by the university.
Muscovy ducks are an invasive species in Florida. While they're protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a control order for the species.
The university has previously removed the birds from campus grounds, including this past school year and in 2016, when they rounded up the birds and sent them to Baptist Hospital of Miami in Kendall due to "health and safety concerns."
But while some on campus might describe the ducks as "dirty and aggressive," students say Ivan is "harmless."
"He would go up to you to try to get your attention, but he would never hurt anyone," Leo Fernandez, a member of UPurr, UM's cat lovers club, told The Hurricane. (Fernandez is reportedly the person who named Ivan).
While students were worried about Ivan's condition following the kicking incident, on August 23, students with UPurr confirmed that he's alive and well.
Members of UPurr spotted him waddling around campus, where he was allegedly seen "going at [people's] boots."
