On 12 May, the German city of Kiel is planning to host its annual charitable Duck Race. But there is one problem: all of their ducks are likely somewhere in the North Sea.
Translation by Traci White
The 10,000 rubber duckies were manufactured in China and were on their way to Kiel on the MSC Zoe, the massive container ship that was damaged when it lost nearly 300 containers in the North Sea in early January.
Since 2006, the Kieler Entenrennen has been organised by Lions International, a service organisation founded in America. The annual race attracts hundreds of visitors to the northern city. The event raises money based on ducks being adopted by their number, and the adoptees can win money if their duck wins the race.
The Leeuwarder Courant reports that the event organisers expect to be able to get a new shipment of the tiny yellow ducks before the event, but they may not be able to label all of them in time. Volunteers typically start numbering the ducks in February, but that step in the process will be delayed due to the shipment not yet being delivered.
It is unclear if the shipping container carrying the ducks fell overboard or if they were inside one of the damaged containers that were still on board when the ship was inspected in Bremen. The shipping company that owns the MSC Zoe could be liable for up to 90 million euros in damages for lost, damaged and undelivered cargo.
Photo source: Wikipedia
