CAPE MAY, NJ – At her home in New Jersey, Jennifer Dowe watches two of her ducks, Bonnie and Clyde, return from their time at “ducky daycare” with the same excitement as children coming home from school.
The pair run toward her, clearly enjoying their unusual routine.
Dowe, who rescued Bonnie and Clyde in 2018, says these ducks are unlike any of the others she cares for.
“They just chose the inside life,” she says, referring to the ducks’ preference to stay close to her rather than with the flock outside.
“They’re just glued to me,” Dowe explains. The ducks’ attachment to her is evident. From watching television together to playing hide and seek, their behavior often resembles that of small children.
Bonnie and Clyde live in a space below Dowe’s bedroom, waking with the sun and heading to bed as it sets. During the day, they join the other ducks in an area outside the house, which Dowe calls “ducky daycare.”
“I leave Bonnie and Clyde there to socialize while I go to work,” she says, describing how she built a ramp to help them navigate between their indoor room and the outdoor space.
Dowe adds that no matter where they are, they always race back to greet her when she returns.
