- The Washington Times - Thursday, January 2, 2014

A massive yellow rubber ducky that stands more than 59 feet high and was floating in waters around Taiwan lost its luster New Year’s Day, deflating and sagging, leaving tourists despondent and dejected.

Some saw the icon’s demise due to a bird attack, CNN reported.

One tourist told various Taiwan media outlets that she saw an eagle scratch the massive rubber ducky with its talons. But a meteorologist guessed otherwise, saying the duck was subjected to harsh weather conditions and rapid temperature changes that ultimately brought on its fatal rupture.

Either way, fans who traveled to Keelung Port to catch a glimpse of the massive and whimsical work of art were sorely disappointed.

“We want to apologize to the fans of the yellow rubber duck,” said Keelung City Council Speaker Huang Ching-ta, CNN reported. “We haven’t found the cause of the burst. We will carefully examine the duck to determine the cause.”

Versions of the huge duck have made appearances at various waters around the world, including those near Beijing, Sydney, Sao Paolo and Amsterdam, CNN said.

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

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