LCG on Wednesday released an update on several ducks in Girard Park who were found dead in the park's pond last month.
Lafayette Parks and Recreation Department contacted the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry after at least eight Muscovy ducks and one nutria were found dead in the park's pond. Specimens from those animals and the pond water were sent to LDAF for testing and those results were released earlier this week.
Test results indicated that organophosphate levels were within acceptable ranges, according to state and federal regulations.
Interim Parks and Recreation Director Frank Wittenberg said his department is still investigating the possible cause for the "slight levels" that were found, as "these are not from any materials or applications used by the Department or any contractor."
LDAF also conducted a necropsy of one duck through the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, which showed "extremely high levels of parasites," which experts believe caused a "catastrophic" system failure in the ducks.
Heavy parasitism is not uncommon in park-type environments due to unavoidable fecal-oral transmission of the parasites in the water, LCG added.
LCG says park employees will continue to monitor the animals in the pond at Girard Park and the surrounding area and work to prevent any further illness among the duck and nutria populations.
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