Firm’s Parking Plans Displace Ducks

Part of a flock of ducks that once inhabited three ponds at Prudential HealthCare’s Woodland Hills property has been removed to make way for parking lots that will displace the man-made pools, a popular feature of the Warner Center business park long enjoyed by pedestrians.

Prudential announced the relocation of the ducks and a few geese to a wildlife refuge as a move to benefit the waterfowl, which, Prudential said, had become threatened by recent increased traffic and pollution in the area.

But an internal Prudential communication sent to employees earlier this month states that the property’s water features--consisting of three man-made, concrete ponds--were being removed “to make way for approximately 400 new parking spaces.” The memo also stated that there is a parking shortage and that the ducks had caused “health and safety concerns.”

By last week, about 40 ducks and some geese at the ponds, located near the intersection of Canoga Avenue and Burbank Boulevard, had been trapped and moved to the Wildlife Waystation in Angeles National Forest near Lake View Terrace. Prudential made a financial contribution to the Waystation to help pay for construction of a new pond and waterfowl habitat there, and also donated used water pumps and filters to the refuge.

Although the Waystation’s relocation and trapping effort ended about five days ago, at least 30 ducks still remain on the property, residing near the empty concrete-lined pools. On Thursday afternoon the ducks slept quietly in the shade of trees and shrubs near one of the empty ponds on Canoga Avenue.

A property manager for Prudential refused to comment on the removal of the ducks and Peggy Frank Lyle, a company spokeswoman, said she had not seen the piece of electronic mail, headed “Parking Lot Expansion,” that explained the reason behind the relocation of the waterfowl.

But Lyle noted that planning for construction of the parking lots had begun only recently. She also said the new parking lots would not be built exactly where the ponds are currently located, and added that a significant amount of new landscaping would be included in the parking lot expansion, which is due to start in the next few months.

Other Prudential employees said they were informed earlier this month that the ducks were being sent away to make room for expanded parking.

“We all enjoyed them, and we’re really sorry to see them go--especially the baby ducks,” said a Prudential employee who asked not to be identified. “But I think they’ll be safer at the [Wildlife] Waystation,” she said. “And they did leave a lot of duck doo-doo around.”

Los Angeles Audubon Society members said the Prudential ducks are victims of human domestication.

“Those are what we call ‘funny ducks,’ ” said Sandy Wohlgemuth, an Audubon Society member. “They are, for all intents and purposes, domesticated: If you have food, they’ll chase you.”

Wohlgemuth said moving the ducks to the Waystation was “probably a good idea. What we’re most concerned about is, when the true migrating ducks come down in the winter, they are liable to mate with the funny ducks. It dilutes the gene pool.”

But not everyone is happy to see them go. Pat Pfeiffer, a retired Prudential personnel manager, said she has fed the ducks nearly every evening for almost 20 years. Since the ponds were first dug in 1977, Pfeiffer estimates she has spent about $50,000 on duck feed.

“Downsize the ducks and increase the parking!” Pfeiffer said, noting that the ducks have been enjoyed by people in Woodland Hills for many years. “I’ll continue to go out there as long as there are hungry ducks,” she vowed.