Mama Duck Protected Her Unhatched Eggs Through Hurricane Irma and The Photos Are Too Much

When Hurricane Irma was raging through Plant City, Florida, instead of trying to escape and hide, one Muscovy duck stayed fixed on top of her 13 eggs. The persevering mother duck, now called Irma, caught public attention after a photo of her was posted online, and she is now still waiting for her eggs to hatch.

The picture of Irma was posted on Facebook by Joy Anne Trent, whose backyard is home to a number of Muscovy ducks. Since then, the determined duck got her own Facebook page and a few thousand likes from people impressed by her resolve to stay on her nest and they’re all hopeful that the eggs will soon hatch.

Irma the duck lay the 13 eggs in Joy’s yard almost a month ago. Several times a day, she would leave the nest to eat and drink, then return to protect and take care of the ducklings-to-be.

When the storm began to move in with a heavy rainfall, instead of seeking a hideaway, Irma cowered on the nest at the base of an oak tree. The rain was pouring down on her, but she would not even budge…

When Joy woke up the following morning, she found the duck still squarely in her spot – surrounded by broken branches and piles of leaves. She only moved from the nest the next day to eat the food offered by Joy and her family.

“So here’s to Irma, super duck, who sat through a category 2-3 hurricane, protecting her eggs and said ‘not today hurricane Irma, not on my watch!’ Looking forward to having 13 Muscovy ducklings soon, pooping all over our driveway,” Joy posted on Irma’s page.

Thanks to Irma’s incredible determination, her eggs are still safe and sound. As the brave duck is getting more and more attention online, Joy underlines that she does not intend to interfere with nature in any way and she lets Irma have her privacy. “If her eggs do not hatch,” she writes “we will candle them. At this time, we are not trying to disturb Mother Nature. She knows what is best for those babies. Better than we do.”

To visit Irma’s Facebook page, click here.

All image source: Irma Duck/Facebook