Meet Sunny, the lucky duck with an adorable afro and heartwarming story.
Sunny, named after his shining personality, has a genetic mutation that gives him a glorious feather poof on his head. However, it has also caused him some significant health issues, including being blind in one eye.
In a video shared by GeoBeats Animals, Sunny’s owner (Sarah) recalled seeing the wee duckling all by his lonesome while at a tractor supply. She was instantly smitten with his quirky look. Though none of the other ducks would embrace Sunny, being partially blind made him less skittish and more approachable to the other animals. And, of course, people—especially kids. Sunny was always up to sit on a lap and share a nap.
Sarah wouldn’t become aware of Sunny’s condition until she noticed he wasn’t growing and he began wheezing due to an upper respiratory infection. When she realized her little afro’d duckling had some disabilities and might need some special care, she willingly obliged.
The result? Sunny is now a happy, healthy and undeniably dashing adult duck … and an influencer, at that. His Instagram is dedicated to brightening people’s days with adorable pics, which his 12,000 followers flock to.
I mean, just look at this:
The other ducks still aren’t all that nice to our beloved outlier, sadly. However, Sunny now has his own duck buddy, one who is also blind in one eye and has a mini pompadour, and they regularly enjoy “blind” dates together. You know what they say, birds of a feather…
Plus, less of a duck-tourage means more watermelon cake for Sunny! Win-win!
Caring for a disabled pet can be challenging, but it can also yield great rewards, like inspiring empathy and acceptance. As Sarah told GeoBeats Animals, “What makes [Sunny] different makes him special. He’s taught us so much just by being who he is.”
Thank you Sunny, for reminding us that even if we’re built a bit differently, we can always find our flock.
Source: https://www.upworthy.com/sunny-the-special-needs-duck