The first case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard Anas platyrhynchos
(duck)
On 5 June 1995 an adult male mallard (
Anas platyrhynchos
) collided with the glass façade
of the Natuurmuseum Rotterdam and died. An other drake mallard raped the corpse
almost continuously for 75 minutes.
Then the author disturbed the scene and secured the
dead duck. Dissection showed that the rape-victim indeed was of the male sex. It
is concluded that the mallards were engaged in an ‘Attempted Rape
Flight’ that resulted in the first described case of homosexual
necrophilia in the mallard.