© DONBANTUMPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
A female mallard duck feeds in a pond, her mate following closely. The pair has spent the winter together and is now searching for a nest site. Other drakes also feed and swim nearby, seemingly uninterested in the couple. Suddenly, an unknown male rushes the female, bobbing his head up and down. Her mate chases him, and she flees to the edge of the pond. Other males are drawn to the activity, and before long, the hen is mobbed by the group, despite her quacks and attempts to escape. The males grab her by the neck and forcibly mate with her, one after the other, while her partner watches helplessly from afar. (See photograph above.) He may have lost this battle, but, luckily for both ...
