Saving Corporal Haggis

For Hundreds of years, The domesticated Muscovy duck has been a favorite on many farms and homesteads. I myself have had the pleasure of owning a few of these sweet, interesting and extremely intelligent birds in the past.

Below is a letter that was printed in a British newspaper, "The Times" Jan 18 2008, about a very special Muscovy Duck, named Corporal Haggis.

Sir, Your letter about a dog adopted by British servicemen (Jan 12) recalls the remarkable episode of “Corporal Haggis” — a Muscovy duck adopted by a tank crew of the Royal Scots Greys in Italy in 1943, which saw service throughout the Italian and Normandy campaigns, before meeting an untimely end in 1945.

Corporal Haggis had been found in the grounds of an Italian farm, and was about to have its neck wrung when German troops suddenly opened fire. The tank crew, under the command of my late husband, John Warrender, later Lord Bruntisfield, scooped up the duck and stuffed it into the tank. Thereafter it was adopted by the driver, “Smudger” Smith, who kept it, through many battles and on the long journey across Europe, on the floor of his tank. It was transported back to Britain, then took part in the Normandy landings, crossed the Rhine, and reached the Baltic shore.

There, most unfortunately, it decided to make friends with a detachment of Canadian troops who killed and ate it.

So important a mascot had Corporal Haggis become that he was given a special medal, which he wore round his neck, bearing the eagle emblem of the regiment.

My step-daughter wrote an account of his adventures, called Corporal Haggis: The Wartime Story of a Muscovy Duck.

Lady Bruntisfield
Edinburgh

The Muscovy Duck is in trouble.
The "WILD" Muscovy is native to Mexico and Central and South America, and because the "WILD" Muscovy has moved into a small area of Texas, they now fall under the management of the Migratory Bird Act. This law does not take into effect the difference between the "WILD" Muscovy and the Muscovy that has been domesticated and raised on many large and small farms through out the United States and worldwide for hundreds of years.

50 CFR Part 21 of the regulation reads:
(g) You may not acquire or possess live Muscovy ducks, their carcasses or parts, or their eggs, except to raise them to be sold as food, and except that you may possess any live Muscovy duck that you lawfully acquired prior to March 31, 2010. If you possess Muscovy ducks on that date, you may not propagate them or sell or transfer them to anyone for any purpose, except to be used as food. You may not release them to the wild, sell them to be hunted or released to the wild, or transfer them to anyone to be hunted or released to the wild.

Thankfully the Federal Fish and Wildlife Service realized that they did not consider the difference between the domesticated Muscovy and the small wild populations when they created this regulation.
The law is still in effect.
The good news the Fish and Wildlife service has decided not to enforce this law until changes can be made to the regulations.


Now the Muscovy is in trouble here in Connecticut.

After the horrible, and emotionally gut wrenching attack on Charla Nash by a friends pet chimpanzee, The Connecticut Dept Of Environmental Protection has compiled a list consisting of dangerous animals, threatened animals, and nuisance animals.

I do understand that Harry the homeowner should not posses a pet Elephant, Lion, Rattlesnake, Kangaroo, Hippo, Rhino, Harbor Seal, Wallaby, Copperhead, or Bear.

I do find it very troubling that the Muscovy Duck has found its way onto this extremely long list. If this new regulation section 26-55-6, should take effect, Any one owning a Muscovy duck would be a criminal and could face stiff fines and possible jail time.

I have to believe this is a oversight on the part of the Connecticut Department Of Environmental Protection, and they will not force this wonderful, intelligent, entertaining, domesticated barnyard favorite into local extinction.

"SAVE THE MUSCOVY"