SOUTH PORTLAND — A humorous video intended to stop people from feeding ducks and geese in Mill Creek Park and elsewhere in the city has hit the web, produced by South Portland Community Television.

The release of “Duckasaurus: Don’t Feed the Waterfowl” comes after the City Council passed an ordinance in May banning the feeding of waterfowl and gulls that frequent city parks and beaches.

Staff at the community television station in City Hall made the scream-filled, chuckle-inducing video as a public service announcement for the Parks, Recreation & Waterfront Department.

Feeding wild birds in public areas is considered unhealthy for them and for humans for a variety of reasons. It’s the station’s third PSA on the subject, following two released last year as animated episodes of “Judge Doody,” which highlighted the feces and disease problems related to feeding waterfowl.

“It’s a challenging issue because people love to see the ducks and geese, but they don’t realize it’s bad for the birds,” said Moe Amaral, station coordinator.

Amaral based his screenplay for “Duckasaurus” on two 1950s science fiction monster movies – “Them,” about giant radioactive killer ants, and “The Deadly Mantis,” a similar flick about praying mantises – with elements of “Jurassic Park” mixed in.

“There’s some film geekery in here,” said Amaral, who directed the video along with Nathan Oliver, a media specialist at the local cable TV station.

Amaral’s wife and children, as well as Oliver’s children, starred in the video. And they were careful not to actually feed the waterfowl with bread, which is especially harmful.

So, no birds were harmed in the making of this video.


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