Animal sanctuaries have reported a rise in abandoned ducks after the birds have gained popularity because of TikTok.
Videos of ducks and accounts dedicated to pet ducks have followers in the millions.
Influencers on TikTok have also documented their experience becoming duck owners.
However, the reality of looking after a duck rarely features.
The Montreal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) told Canadian news outlet, Global News, they have seen a rise in the number of ducks they have received.
Last year they took in just six compared to 60 this year already.
Canadian animal sanctuary SAFE has said they have had to say no to taking in any more.
In May, Irish organisations also voiced concerns over similar trends.
One wildlife sanctuary was left caring for almost 100 ducklings.
Reports found that ducklings were being sold for as little as five euros in Dublin.
One theory was that wild ducks were being taken from canals to be sold.
At the time, the Dublin Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (DSPCA) urged parents to stop their teenagers from buying the animals as pets.
A spokesperson for the organisation said in May that they were "astonished" by the "unacceptable and reckless behaviour" involving young, vulnerable ducks.
They added: "We were taking them into the shelter throughout the day from parents who arrived with them in shoe boxes and plastic cartons not knowing how to care for them."
Currently, the main concern is that teenagers are buying the ducks as pets after seeing the cute, lighthearted TikTok videos.
In reality, ducks are messy and poo everywhere and are not easy to look after.
And in the colder month, ducklings need the oils from their mothers' feathers to keep warm and require a specific diet to survive, reports Newsweek.
While there are cute videos on TikTok, there are those on the platform who warn people not to buy ducks on the back of their content.
One of these is TikToker @brendanxa. He has among other pets a duck named Duck Jerry who has become an internet hit.
However, Brendan is mindful of the responsibilities of owning a duck.
In an interview with The Verge website, he said: "Do not get a pet duck. I do not believe they are a good pet.
“Most of them will wander off. Most of them will fly away, and most of them don't want to deal with people."
In the U.S, different states have different regulations on owning ducks as pets. Some require that owners purchase a minimum of two ducks at once, or in some cases six.
In the UK, the RSPC states: “Before getting any ducks or geese it's important you consider if you have the time, resources, commitment, knowledge and facilities to care for them.”
Under the Animal Welfare Act (2006) anyone responsible for a pet has a legal responsibility to meet the five basic welfare needs of pets which include: a proper diet, somewhere suitable to live, any need to be housed with or apart from other animals, being allowed to express normal behaviour and protection from and treatment of, illness and injury.
