Guided by locals carrying folded cardboard boxes, ducks waddle across a crosswalk in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto.
11:00 JST, June 8, 2024
KYOTO – With the help of locals and police officers, six ducklings waddled about 600 meters to move from a pond at a temple in Kyoto where they were born on May 19 to the Kamo River.
The duck procession between the pond and the river is an annual event in the city. Ducks began raising their offspring in the pond on the Yoboji Temple grounds about two decades ago, and the young waterfowl’s march to the river was a striking sight in the area.
The ducklings were moved without their parents this year after their mother disappeared, although she was seen at the pond earlier in the day.
Despite the setback, the ducks left the pond in the morning. Local residents guided the birds using folded cardboard boxes and by distributing food and water. Police officers also helped them direct traffic. It took about three hours for the ducks to reach the Kamo River.
“I want the ducks to live freely in the wild,” said a 79-year-old woman who cares for the ducks at Yoboji Temple.
