George the duck to take up residency at Las Vegas sanctuary

As The Mirage shut down Wednesday, many on social media who had learned of the mallard’s plight still had unanswered questions about what would happen to him, since he can’t fly.

“Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary has graciously stepped up to accept George the duck,” a spokesperson for the casino said in a statement, adding that details about when the duck would be relocated had not been finalized.

Initially, casino officials said the plan was to move him to the Flamingo’s animal sanctuary, but the Nevada Department of Wildlife told the Las Vegas Review-Journal it wasn’t privy to that decision, despite laws that required it to be.

The Mirage has since involved the state Wildlife Department, which is now in full support of the decision to relocate George to Gilcrease, department spokesman Doug Nielsen said.

The sanctuary’s website says it doesn’t take in or rehabilitate wildlife, including all wild birds, and the sanctuary didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Still, Nielsen said the department has worked with Gilcrease in the past, and will make sure all laws are followed.

While this appears to be the best case scenario for the duck in this case, Nielsen said it’s important to avoid feeding wild animals to avoid disrupting behavior and migration patterns.

“If Gilcrease is set up to help this bird and find it a place where the people involved feel the bird has a future, then we’ll see how it goes,” Nielsen said.

Contact Alan Halaly at ahalaly@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlanHalaly on X.