Thousands of Rogue Rubber Duckies Float Down Nevada River After Fundraiser Mishap

What started as a fun way to raise money for a humane society ended as a headache for volunteers tasked with scooping up thousands of rubber duckies that broke free from a barrier during a duck race.

The Nevada Humane Society sent 20,000 rubber duckies down the Truckee River in Reno on Aug. 12 as part of its annual Duck Race, the largest fundraiser it hosts.

The ducks were meant to be contained at one end of the river by a barrier in the water, but this year, the support barrier had other plans.

"It looked good, it looked like it was going to be strong enough to hold our ducks, but I think that the combination of the current, the level of the water, and the strong current was just too much for the barrier," Nevada Humane Society CEO Jerleen Bryant told News 4.

It's unknown how many ducks breached the barrier and floated downstream, but some were spotted in the river around 5 miles east of where the race started. The event started with around 20,000 ducks, but Bryant said many attendees typically take the rubber duckies home with them, and it was difficult to estimate how many ducks were at large.

She estimated that around two-thirds of the ducks have been recovered.

According to Bryant, “no one could have anticipated” the barrier would fail. 

“We are certainly rethinking that portion of the event,” Bryant said. “We don't want to ever see this happen again, and we take it very seriously.”

Still, she said she was confident they would recover every last duck and the impact on the river would be minimal.

“Fortunately, the ducks are bright [and] they float. There's nothing toxic,” she said.

Not everyone agreed the event should be allowed to happen in the first place. The Center for Biological Diversity Great Basin Director Patrick Donnelly said in a statement to News 4 that he has “serious concerns” about the annual event.

"Events with the potential to damage the environment shouldn’t receive city permits, to begin with," he said.

Others voiced their criticism on social media.

In the weeks leading up to the event, community members "adopted" a duck to compete in the duck race. In honor of each duck they adopted, their name was entered into a raffle, for the chance to win a brand-new car or $15,000, according to the event website.

This year's event raised over $160,000 for the humane society.