Yes, I kid you not: this isn’t a pet duck with a uniform grandma knitted as a joke.
These are real ducks with real jobs. And they take it seriously.
First up: the army of 900 Indian Runner ducks who work in a vineyard, and yes, it’s real work. They’re not eye candy for tourists who stopped by to sip on Chianti.
These ducks perform a hugely important task: keeping the vineyard free of pests, and they do it so well, the vineyard doesn’t need to use pesticides, which you DO NOT WANT in your Chianti.
They also seem insanely happy to do this, don’t they?
Think about it: you’re a wild duck, scrambling around for food and shelter, and your vineyard duck cousin tells you about his life, living in a sweet vineyard full of yummy food, sleeping in a great shelter, no predators to worry about and 900 other chill ducks to hang out with when you’re not feasting on bugs and worms.
Not too shabby. Not shabby at all.
Then there’s these ducks with the same kind of gig in Thailand, working at a rice fam.
Let’s break down why this is amusing and touching.
First, the ducks are cute. They seem eager and happy, and they’re far more elegant than chickens.
My neighbor has chickens and ducks. I feed them leftover veggies and such, and have learned things. The chickens are like feathered dinosaurs, and they do talk. But they also move in jerks and look at you with one eye at a time.
The ducks seem more evolved and intelligent. Instead of doing the chicken walk, they stroll. So with ducks, you’ve got a sympathetic subject.
Second, it’s surprising that ducks can do a job.
Monkeys? Sure. You expect monkeys, elephants, dogs and dolphins to be the type of animal with a job. They’re trainable.
Ducks are a shock.
Third, it’s crazy how happy the ducks are do these jobs. They aren’t on a chain gang. The owner doesn’t have to loom over them with a whistle and a whip. Sure, eating bugs is natural, but working as a team, and doing it on schedule without causing other shenanigans?
It’s hard to get 900 humans to work together without shenanigans. Five or more humans in a group won’t even agree on how to SPELL shenanigins.
Bonus video: 10 interesting facts about ducks
The Red Pen of Doom 