Left: Bernie and Frances Dingle with their beloved duck, Arty. 32890
By Jade Lawton
ARTY the duck almost ended up a military bird in Puckapunyal, but escaped the draft by a feather to live the life of a pampered pet in Nar Nar Goon.
The wood duck entered the lives of Bernie and Frances Dingle, owners of the Nar Nar Goon Light Horse and Artillery Museum, five years ago.
“We had some artillery chaps who came down from Puckapunyal to do a project at the museum and they found him, as a hatchling, in the creek. There had been a storm that day and he’s been washed down, so they went in to fetch him,” Mrs Dingle said.
“They were going to take him back to Puckapunyal and put him in the dam, but the commanding officer was not very impressed and I don’t think they realised how young he was, so I said I would take him.
“He was very cold and I gave him a hot water bottle. I thought he would die, but five years later, he’s still with us.”
Arty, named after the artillery soldiers who found him, now sleeps in the Dingle’s lounge room and has his own box, pen and bath. When the weather’s cold, the fire is lit just for him.
Mrs Dingle said Arty didn’t really act like a duck.
“We tried to give him snails and worms and that sort of thing, but now he eats mealy worms at $70 a kilogram and fresh clover we have to go pick every day. He even has his own account at the aquarium,” she said.
Despite his luxurious existence, Arty had a tough start to life and now cannot fly properly. He also has fits occasionally.
But Arty loves the Dingle family.
“When Bernie was overseas in Gallipoli, he rang me and I happened to be feeding Arty and he (Arty) made his noises down the phone, he missed him,” Mrs Dingle said.
It isn’t known how much longer the Dingle’s will have Arty for.
“Someone has told me they live for four years, but we’ve already had him for five so that can’t be right. We both love him and couldn’t bear to lose him,” she said.
>>>Have you got an interesting Pet? It can be Man’s best friend or a creepy crawlie. Get your pet in to Me and My Pet by phoning 5945 0666 or by contacting the Gazette at editor@starnewsgroup.com.au on email.
