Manchester, Tennessee - 18 March, 2006 -

The brand new pond at the Manchester, Tennessee KOA Campground has four new residents. Jerry and Barbara Dale, owners of the Manchester KOA, recently had four woodducks flown to Atlanta from a hatchery near Sacramento, California. "We've had ducks on the campground for about a year," said Jerry Dale. "We wanted to add the woodducks because they are so beautiful and they really give our pond a ‘wow' effect. I like to say that they are ‘pointed by God.'" The woodducks join several other duck breeds in the Manchester KOA pond, including Pekin, Crested, Buff and Blue Swedish varieties. "We also, of course, get occasional visits from Canada geese," Dale said. The campground owners said exotic ducks are difficult to raise and even harder to obtain. The woodduck is unique in that the mother ducks roost in trees. They actually drop their baby ducklings 10-15 feet from the tree branches in order to teach their young to feed on their own. Not that feeding will be much of a problem for these ducks. Campers are encouraged to feed the waterfowl. Campers are also welcome to try their luck at catch-and-release catfish fishing in the park's pond. For more information on the Manchestser, Tennessee KOA Campground, visit www.koa.com or call the campground toll free at 800-562-7785.

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