| Species | Domestic duck (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) |
|---|---|
| Breed | American Pekin |
| Sex | Male |
| Hatched | September 9, 2020 Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Occupation | Emotional support animal |
| Known for | Running the New York City Marathon |
| Owner | Justin Wood and Joyce Kung |
| Residence | New York City |
| seducktive | |
Wrinkle Five Star (hatched September 9, 2020)[1] is an American Pekin duck and emotional support animal who gained prominence on social media for participating in the New York City Marathon.[2] Hatched in Louisville, Kentucky, as the only survivor from a clutch of six eggs,[1] Wrinkle is biologically male but was initially thought to be a female duckling. Circus jugglers Justin Wood and Joyce Kung, Wrinkle's owners, still use she/her pronouns to refer to her.[3]
Wrinkle lives in New York City[4] with Wood and Kung.[5] They bought six American Pekin eggs in September 2020, intending to raise the ducks as performers in their variety show. During Wrinkle's initial training, Wood and Kung noticed she was good at running. A video of her running was posted on TikTok on September 17, a week after she was hatched.[6]
Running career
Wrinkle participated in her first marathon in 2021.[7] She does not run the entire 26-mile (42 km) course. In 2022, by one estimate, she only completed 50 feet (15 m), which included several stops for water. Wrinkle has been known to walk 15 to 20 blocks, and has completed the entire 1.4-mile (2.3 km) Bronx Halloween Parade.[8] She recorded an official time of 18:08 for the 1-kilometre (0.62 mi) kids' course of the 2022 Long Island Marathon, earning a medal and reportedly setting the world duck record for that distance.[7][9] She also competed in the 2022 New York Marathon.[10]
Ducks can develop a bacterial infection known as bumblefoot if they run on rough surfaces. To combat this, Wood and Kung built custom shoes for Wrinkle out of a soft red material.[6]
Wrinkle also paints, in a style which has been described as similar to "Jackson Pollock but painted by webbed foot".[3]
Other examples
Ducks are not commonly used as emotional support animals, but Wrinkle is not the only known example. Daniel Turducken Stinkerbutt (Daniel the Duck) is an Indian Runner duck employed for PTSD therapy.[3][11] Jellybean is a Cayuga Black duck used to alleviate social anxiety.[3][12] Bill and Nibbles are two ducks who provide emotional support for an autistic child.[3][13]
References
- 1 2 "A Wrinkle In Time". seDUCKtive. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ↑ Garner, Glenn (November 12, 2021). "An Emotional Support Duck Ran the New York City Marathon in Custom Webbed Sneakers". People. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Faber, Emily (December 7, 2021). "Duck famous for running in New York City Marathon waddled her way into the circus". NBC 15 News. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ↑ Gibbs, Alice (May 4, 2023). "Duck on Trip to PetSmart Drives Everyone Quackers". Newsweek. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ↑ Maag, Christopher. "Meet Wrinkle the Circus Duck. He will charm you and stop traffic, even in Central Park". North Jersey Media Group. Archived from the original on 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- 1 2 Hatler, Chris (November 12, 2021). "Just How Far Did Wrinkle the Duck Run the NYC Marathon?". Runner's World. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- 1 2 Young, Arnesia (6 May 2022). "Wrinkle the Duck Runs Another Marathon and This Time Wins a Medal". My Modern Met. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ↑ Beresford, Jack (November 9, 2021). "Video of Duck Running in New York City Marathon Sends Everyone Quackers". Newsweek. Archived from the original on July 12, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ↑ Dickinson, Marley (5 May 2022). "Meet the famous duck who ran the Long Island Marathon – Canadian Running Magazine". Canadian Running Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ↑ Dickinson, Marley (2022-11-07). "The strangest and funniest moments from the 2022 New York City Marathon". Canadian Running Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- ↑ Tan, Avianne (October 18, 2016). "Airplane Passengers Fall in Love With Emotional Support Duck Accompanying Owner With PTSD". ABC News. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ↑ "Jellybean Emotional Support Animal". Richmond Times-Dispatch. April 2, 2021. Archived from the original on July 13, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
- ↑ Bever, Lindsey (August 24, 2018). "A 12-year-old's therapy ducks were 'his everything.' Then neighbors began to complain". Washington Post. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2023.