RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KABC) -- For decades, Riverside residents enjoyed a scene of serenity at a local park's lake. But over the past few weeks, it's turned into a horrifying scene with dozens of dead animals.
Many ducks, geese and other wildlife have turned up dead at the Fairmount Park lake. One resident who visits the lake almost every day started to notice the problem earlier this month. "I mean, just two weeks ago it was beautiful.
We loved coming here," said Jennifer Taylor, who held back tears over the loss of so many animals. "Now I can't even sleep at night because all I think about is all my little friends that have died already." She's counted dozens of dead animals but most of them are ducks that spend their time in the water.
An old video taken by Taylor shows abundant wildlife flocking towards the water, a sharp contrast to the lake right now. "I've been feeding them for years, and my husband found one of his favorite ducks face down dead about four or five days ago, and he came to me and screamed that they're all dead," Taylor said. Taylor's husband described one of the ducks in the water appearing lethargic before finally dying.
"There was one mallard who was showing all the symptoms," said Jeff Wilson. "He couldn't keep his neck up and he just kept sliding into the muck, until he needed to breathe. Then he would struggle to get his head out, and then he would go back into the muck until he was finally dead.
" The City of Riverside is aware of the problems at Fair.