Efforts to help duck wounded by dart continue

VIRGINIA, Minn. (AP) -- A duck on Silver Lake isn't letting a dart in its head stop it from eating, swimming, socializing or paddling away from rescue attempts.

Authorities don't know who shot the duck with a metal blowgun dart. The bird has been unable to remove the shaft from its left cheek behind its bill, though it has been seen scratching at the dart with its feet.

Department of Natural Resources personnel tried without success Monday to capture the mallard, said a spokeswoman at the DNR office near Eveleth.

"It's fairly active and seems to know we're out to catch him," she said. The wound caused by the dart isn't infected, and the duck is swimming and eating, she said.

The Mesabi Humane Society has received several calls about the duck, said Mary Peliska, executive director, and animal control officers also have been checking on the duck.

"You just want to pull it out," she said of the dart. "You have to catch the duck first. They go fast."

Nobody has been able to get near the duck yet, Peliska said Tuesday.

"It's an impossible task. You can just try your best," said Peliska.

On the positive side, she said, the duck appears to be eating and drinking normally and spending time with a mate.